Commentary: Return to Glory?
Offseason bringing a return to glory?
by James Jones
Another season come and another season gone and along with it another off-season to endure. For some this might not seem like the agonizingly, excruciating eight months that it is. For advocates of the San Francisco 49ers however it is just that. I have long made the comment that this break in the game that we all have come to find irresistible over the years is the longest eight months of my life… every, single… year. If not for the beauty of the internet there is no telling how we would make it through this period. Hell, I have no earthly clue as to how our fathers and grandfathers endured the end of the NFL season back when the avenues to gain news about your favorite team were very few and far between. Perhaps the World Wide Web has spoiled us a species. Or possibly we are so in love with this team that we will do anything within our power to search, locate and ultimately view the most minuscule amount of news we can get our red and gold hands on, but I digress. This is not an article on how great the internet is or what we are compelled to do in the off-season.
What this is really, is an attempt to give the masses something to read as they sit at their desks, gazing into the computer screens, waiting to be one day closer to September. This team is quite possibly in the best shape it has been in that I can recall in recent memory. At least in regards to where free agency and the draft are concerned. Coupled with the fact that today, the franchise learned that it not only took the man whom the San Diego Chargers would have made their next defensive coordinator to fill the same role here, but the one who had the biggest hand in improving the offense last season, will be back! To a man this was amazing news and completely turned around a month following the season that was quickly becoming a nightmare for all concerned.
Norv Turner’s contributions to the offense and the team in general cannot and should not be disregarded. He was at the core of quarterback Alex Smith’s improvement in 2007 as well as the offense itself improving by leaps and bounds over the Niners 2006 campaign. Sure the front office did good to bring in men like Larry Allen, Antonio Bryant, (juries still out on this one) and drafting the Son of God himself, Vernon Davis. However it was Turner who took this to the next level with his play calling and coaching ability. He has taken Smith under his wing and the fact that he is remaining in San Francisco says one thing, that the young quarterback will only continue to get better ala Troy Aikman. The knock on Turner was that he is not head coach material. While that may be a factual statement there is no denying his love for taking a young, gifted athlete and turning him into an All-Pro QB and seeing the fruits of his labor culminate in a Super Bowl triumph.
Many more questions remain in the coming months, as free agency, the 2007 draft, May mini-camps and training camp loom but the one aspect that can no longer be questioned, at least in these parts, is that the 49ers should be the odds on favorites to reclaim the NFC West title and make a run in the post season. The talent level is almost there and as we all know full well, the additions of some key free agents, alongside the up and coming players whom are already here and a bevy of great coaches can easily translate into a Championship parade down the streets of San Francisco.
Tagged: Frank Gore, Norv Turner, Alex Smith, Vernon Davis
unlike you erickson, i do have baseball to look forward to. but what do i from now till the start of baseball? go crazy that is! basketball? hahahaa heck no, the warriors are a joke.
anyways, i concur. next year is the year of the 49ers. watch out seatle! your rb in his 30s, and your overratted qb cant save you now!
Sunday’s definately suck for quite a while….
The Warriors? They haven’t had much to look at since 1976. Except maybe Run DMC or whatever the initials were for Mullin and Co.
The Giants? I’ve loved them since 1964, so I’m always hopeful.
And Al Davis? I loved the old time Raiders with Freddy B. and Stabler until you moved them to L.A., so now I’m very happy you’ve turned them into a laughing stock…
just remember that the chargers need a defensive cordinater.this isnt over yet,i wouldnt be surprised if the chargers interview mike singletary.but i hope in the next couple years we return to glory.im like Ericson i like football year round.and i have no intrest in baseball,sockerfigure skating baseball or any other sport except X games.and the team we need to prepair for is arizona and our whole divition.not just seatle…….
we have to hope the front office is looking foward to the offseason and as well as getting back to out Glory days and i say this because football is a year around sport for the people in the front office we as fans have to hope they are 4 real we got the money and we are young so after a 7-9 season i want to see a 10-6 or a 11-5 season show me something
Singletary will not become DC for the Chargers. Why? Because the 49ers do not have to grant permission even if they did come asking. Nolan will deny permission like he did the Cardinals when they came calling for Sullivan.
looks like D.T.-Amobi Okoye has lost some weight on some sites some have him listed from 289 to 295.thats not big enough for nose tackle.i looked at the otc draft on this page and they have us getting, Alan Branch the defensive tackle from michigan and that nolan was interested in DE/OLB Anthony Spencer,dont know if he is related to Shawnta Spencer.
Okoye doesn’t fit our scheme, I don’t get why people keep saying we should draft him. I hope we don’t take Alan Branch. Not with the 11th pick anyways. I really like Jarrett, Nelson, or Landry with that pick.
i would like us to trade up for Calvin Johnson or trade down for some more picks.plus im high on Adam Carriker and Michael Griffen.and if our defensive cordinater doesnt work out.Wade Phillups will be avalable in two years.lol!!!
in a three four defense,Okoye would fit in as a defensive end.i like nelson too.and laundry i think is good but over rated a little bit.i dont like brandon meriweather he is a hot head who thinks his shit doesnt stink.and jarrett is over rated i think he will be a good but not great player like his other usc wide receiver steve smith.
either laron landry in the first round,or to trade up to calvin johnson that might work.can you imagine?calvin johnson and vernon davis?that’s just to good to be true.anyways vernon davis is picked to be a sleeper next season….he’s the real deal.
Landry isn’t a better pick than Branch
How can you say that he is a better pick than Branch…Branch is a textbook Nose Tackle. I agree that Landry would fill a hole, but we are getting no pressure on the quarterback. A 6-6 330 pound linemen might do that!!!! There is a reason why Branch is graded as a better draft pick everywhere.
By the way, we would be extremely stupid to go after Calvin Johnson…he isn’t worth what we would have to give up to get him. He is a surefire top five pick and will probably go third. We need to go with defense with our first three picks at least. Realize that our offensive threats have had only one year to work together as a unit give Norv another year to get things running right.
What´s your take on Ted Ginn Jr. I honestly don´t follow college football down her in Costa Rica. But I´ve heard he could be as good as Hester. Special teams could use a boost, speacially giving the offense better field position. How important would Landry be if we sign Nate Clements? Do we really have shot at Adalius Thomas?
Ginn is something that I wonder about because…yes, he could have Hester like abilities if not better, but (I flinch when I say this) I still think we should give Brandon Williams one more offseason to improve and we would be foolish to not get a defensive player with our first pick. However, I would rather we made this move (Ginn) than trade up for Calvin Johnson.
ginn is only hundred and eighty pounds soaking wet.he could be a steve smith or joey golloway type or be an injury prone player with potental.in the west coast offense you need yards after the catch and ginn is a speed receiver and a down field threat.he would not fit in our systeme becauce he is to small to block and he couldnt break tackles.we need big play receivers.thats why i think antonio bryant doesnt fit our offense he is only one hundred and eighty five pounds.there is a lot of big receivers coming out this year and my opinion is that we trade down for more players. i threw out that trading up to get calvin johnson.johnson could be the next great receiver and it is a pipe dream for the 9ers to get him.he could be way better than TO was for us a few years ago he is bigger with more speed.as a sleeper pick i like paul williams from fresno state in the later rounds of the draft.
and i think we have a good shot at thomas.ravens said they will not franchize tag him so i think we have a good shot.and clements it depends on the team who offers him the most money like always with cornerbacks and receivers.
does anyone know when the regular season sceduale comes out for next year?
Okoye wouldn’t fit in as a defensive end in the 3-4 because he is a penetrator. His strength is that he is really explosive off the snap. He would fit in real well in a 4-3 moving from tackle to end and back like Richard Seymour.
As far as branch, I do like him, but I think we can fill that void in free agency possibly, and we do have Ronald Fields. I think it would be awesome to have Reggie Nelson at FS and Keith Lewis at SS, even though our defense doesn’t really have a free or strong at safety, but having them both back at safety would be dynamic.
I don’t think people are giving Jarrett enough respect. A lot of people are high on Steve Smith, but he is suspect to me. He runs like he’s hunched over, whereas Jarrett plays tall and has lanky arms to be a legit red-zone threat or deep threat jumping over safeties.
I don’t think we’ll take Ginn because Nolan wants big players, and Ginn isn’t one.
So players that we would be taking a look at #11, I’d say Landry, Nelson, Jarrett, and Branch.
one step at a time .lets go threw free agentcy first then worry about the draft.
i just read that tedd ginn jr. ran a 4.30 in the forty and is listed at 6-0 180lbs in the Scott Wrights draft countdown . if he could ad another ten to fifteen pounds and stay healthy he could be another steve smith from the panthers.just my opinion.
On foxsports.com they have us now taking Revis because the Dolphins would take Landry. Who would YOU take Okoye or Revis???
The reason I say this is because we AREN’T going to trade up for Branch (my pipe dream) so our options are go for secondary or Amobi.
By the way…the schdule is already out…we play the AFC north and the NFC South along with our conderence.
Personally, I like DE Adam Carriker from Nebraska.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET ADAM CARRIKER FROM NEBRASKA TOO!AMOGI IS TO SHORT AND UNDER WEIGHT TO PLAY NOSE TACKLE.BUT IF WE CAN GET TERRELL SANDS AS A FREE AGENT TO BE OUR NOSE TACKLE AND ROTATE HIM WITH RON FIELDS.BUT THERE HAVE BEEN RUMARS OF MOVING FIELDS TO END WHEN YOUNG RETIRES. PLUS M. DOUGLAS ALREADY IS 31 YEARS OLD.I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ADAM CARRIKER HE IS THE BEST DEFENSIVE LINEMAN IN THIS YEARS DRAFT HE IS GOOD PASS RUSHER AND A GOOD RUN STOPPER IN MY OPINION.
hey ryan,(my pipe dream)would be to trade up for Calvin Johnson not Branch.and what else i said was THE OTC DRAFT,THERE mock draft said we would end up getting branch from michigan.and the otc draft is on the side of this page.
do people not know that were running a 3-4? or do they know what a 3-4 is?
While, overall, I am also excited about next season, I am still waiting to see what happens this offseason. And, even then, I still await next year with cautious optimism. A host of things can still go wrong. And, teams that are widely viewed as being “up-and-coming” teams (as the Niners are becoming), don’t always go through with those expectations. So, while I know this team is in better shape than it’s been in several years, I still am trying not to expect too much, just in case of a letdown.
Screw that Rob… there is no reason to worry about a let down. At least not in the front office. I have every confidence that Nolan and Mac will do everything they can to put a winner out there on the field this coming season. It is going to be up to the players to make it happen which I believe they will!!!
Alan branch would be a great fit for the niners…he was the best player on a great michigan defense last year.
i hope that because of character concerns brandon merriwether falls to the second round…he is a hot head, but he has that confidence and swagger that you want in a db, i think he will be a great player, very very competitive. His emotions did get carried away in that miami fight, but i’m sure that anyone in his position would do the same thing, if your entire team is fighting the entire oppossing team are you going to just sit back and watch?
i dont like ted ginn because he never really put up good numbers at osu, and hes not as good of a returner as hester. Ginn will run a great 40, but i’m not sold on him as a football player
adalius thomas would be sooooo good for our d, so would nate clements or asante samuel
Espn says that Samuel is going to get the franchise tag.