49ers OTAs / Training Camp

[NinersFan80]

I think he was looking primarily at slot corners, but I could be mistaken.

Just trying to get a sense of where everyone thinks our DB's are at.. To me it sounds like we have a bunch of back ups.. Brock was good last year but don't think he should be the best corner on any team (hopefully he proves me wrong), and Culliver is one of the most hated players on this board and probably is a #3 at best. Then you have Ward who is a rookie and will probably be pretty good as a slot corner, hopefully. Then you have Cook who shouldn't even make this roster realistically, and Cox who I'm not even sure. Then a couple rookies.

I like our safeties but I feel like we are going to get killed through the air this year.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

One thing I think this years secondary has noticeably improved upon is top end speed. Culliver and Brock are much speedier than Rogers and Brown were in 2013.

Along with depth at safety that the Niners haven't really had in awhile, IMO. Bethea is durable, having not missed a game due to injury since 2007, which is good when lined up next to Eric Reid and his history of concussions. Hopefully Reid safely makes it though 2014, though even if he needs to miss a game or two, Baalke picked up Ward who not only is gonna play the slot, but can be insurance at free safety. I definitely feel more comfortable with Ward temporarily sliding from nickel to FS and Cox or Morris playing nickel (unless Johnson or Acker wow the coaches) than I did last year when the Niners only had Dahl or ST aces Ventrone and Spillman to choose from as Reid's backup.

 

[NinersFan80]

One thing I think this years secondary has noticeably improved upon is top end speed. Culliver and Brock are much speedier than Rogers and Brown were in 2013.

Along with depth at safety that the Niners haven't really had in awhile, IMO. Bethea is durable, having not missed a game due to injury since 2007, which is good when lined up next to Eric Reid and his history of concussions. Hopefully Reid safely makes it though 2014, though even if he needs to miss a game or two, Baalke picked up Ward who not only is gonna play the slot, but can be insurance at free safety. I definitely feel more comfortable with Ward temporarily sliding from nickel to FS and Cox or Morris playing nickel (unless Johnson or Acker wow the coaches) than I did last year when the Niners only had Dahl or ST aces Ventrone and Spillman to choose from as Reid's backup.

Morris is someone I want to see get some PT and someone I will watch during preseason. I think he could be another guy that comes out nowhere and be a surprise for this team

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Just trying to get a sense of where everyone thinks our DB's are at.. To me it sounds like we have a bunch of back ups.. Brock was good last year but don't think he should be the best corner on any team (hopefully he proves me wrong), and Culliver is one of the most hated players on this board and probably is a #3 at best. Then you have Ward who is a rookie and will probably be pretty good as a slot corner, hopefully. Then you have Cook who shouldn't even make this roster realistically, and Cox who I'm not even sure. Then a couple rookies.

I like our safeties but I feel like we are going to get killed through the air this year.

Your concerns are valid. It's clear the secondary is our primary area of concern. I think we're pretty good at S. Reid is a very smart, physically gifted player who should only be getting better. Bethea is still more or less in his prime, and is a smart player in a favorable scheme.

CB is the primary area of worry, but if there's one area where Baalke deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's in the defensive backfield. He has done a fantastic job - bettered only by Seattle, IMO - in terms of identifying talent at the DB position. And our coaching staff has done a very good job of grooming talent. The FO has repeatedly hit on and developed late-round or UDFA DBs. Now, he's had to because he hasn't picked a CB before the 8th pick in his first five drafts (not counting Ward), but he's found late-round gems in Philip Adams (not a great player, but he's stuck around the league), Culliver (jury's still out, but judgment day is coming), Brock, Cooper, and Morris. He's also done a good job with safeties.

I'm very curious to see what happens, and I think our pass rush should be better this year - potentially markedly - with Carradine coming in, a healthy Cowboy, and (hopefully) greater rotating.

 

[tomikcon1971]

I think he was looking primarily at slot corners, but I could be mistaken.

I couldn't remember Acker's name and Cook is horrible so I'm trying to forget his signing altogether. I'm biased living in MN but the guy was a dumpster fire up here.

 

[NinerSickness]

yeah Cook was pretty bad in Minn'y. I don't expect anything from him. In fact, he might wanna try to switch to safety if he wants to save his career.

 

[NinersFan80]

Looks like we signed Alfonso Smith to help at RB

 

[Dodub]

yeah Cook was pretty bad in Minn'y. I don't expect anything from him. In fact, he might wanna try to switch to safety if he wants to save his career.

Cook proved in Minnesota that he isn't great in a zone, safeties play tons of zone coverage. Cook's best bet is to continue to work on his man coverage skills and learn to use his size and athleticism.

 

[Dodub]

Your concerns are valid. It's clear the secondary is our primary area of concern. I think we're pretty good at S. Reid is a very smart, physically gifted player who should only be getting better. Bethea is still more or less in his prime, and is a smart player in a favorable scheme.

CB is the primary area of worry, but if there's one area where Baalke deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's in the defensive backfield. He has done a fantastic job - bettered only by Seattle, IMO - in terms of identifying talent at the DB position. And our coaching staff has done a very good job of grooming talent. The FO has repeatedly hit on and developed late-round or UDFA DBs. Now, he's had to because he hasn't picked a CB before the 8th pick in his first five drafts (not counting Ward), but he's found late-round gems in Philip Adams (not a great player, but he's stuck around the league), Culliver (jury's still out, but judgment day is coming), Brock, Cooper, and Morris. He's also done a good job with safeties.

I'm very curious to see what happens, and I think our pass rush should be better this year - potentially markedly - with Carradine coming in, a healthy Cowboy, and (hopefully) greater rotating.

I still can't believe that we didn't go after a big time CB in this draft. I do however think Ward might be a full time CB when it's all said and done.

 

[NinerSickness]

I still can't believe that we didn't go after a big time CB in this draft. I do however think Ward might be a full time CB when it's all said and done.

Should've signed Revis.

 

[Dodub]

Should've signed Revis.

We couldn't have afforded Revis especially since he's on the decline. I would much rather have seen us draft someone. Our system however is one of those that doesn't require top level CB's in order to succeed which is why we don't go after them.

 

[Hangman]

I am happy with what we drafted. I would have like to have gotten Matthews in the second along with Hyde though.

 

[NinerSickness]

We couldn't have afforded Revis especially since he's on the decline.

Not true and not true. It would have taken maneuvering, but the salary cap would not have prevented the Niners from signing Revis. And he's not on the decline; he actually played very well last year on a terrible team. And that was his first year back from an ACL tear; the 2nd in much easier. There's no reason to expect less than last year from Revis; in fact, he'll probably play better than in 2013.

 

[Dodub]

Not true and not true. It would have taken maneuvering, but the salary cap would not have prevented the Niners from signing Revis. And he's not on the decline; he actually played very well last year on a terrible team. And that was his first year back from an ACL tear; the 2nd in much easier. There's no reason to expect less than last year from Revis; in fact, he'll probably play better than in 2013.

It is true, we would have risked the contracts of some of our major players if we went and paid top dollar for Revis. We have already done maneuvering to get Kaep signed, signing Revis would have complicated things dramatically. He is absolutely on the decline, Revis of now is not the Revis from 3 years ago, he doesn't completely shut down a half of the field anymore. He is still a very good CB, but he's not the same guy that he once was and I'm not going to believe he is ever going to be that good again until he proves it to me with his play on the field. As of now, he's an aging CB with a big contract so no thanks.

 

[deep9er]

I am happy with what we drafted. I would have like to have gotten Matthews in the second along with Hyde though.

but how would we have obtained another 2nd round pick? where was Matthews taken in the 2nd, early, mid, or late 2nd?

 

[Crimsoncrew]

but how would we have obtained another 2nd round pick? where was Matthews taken in the 2nd, early, mid, or late 2nd?

10th pick. We would have had to move up to get him (or move back and not take Ward), and probably wouldn't have gotten Hyde. I feel fine about what we did at WR in this draft. Though I may like Ellington more than some, and admittedly I don't necessarily see him as a starter.

 

[Hangman]

We had 2 seconds traded out of second round with the earliest one.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

We had 2 seconds traded out of second round with the earliest one.

That's right, we had the Chiefs' pick. Still would have had to move up for Matthews, but we probably could have packaged that pick with a third to get up there, then maybe Hyde lasts or we package of 5th to move up for him.

 

[deep9er]

We had 2 seconds traded out of second round with the earliest one.

oh geez............dang it, my bad.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Apparently we could be in some serious trouble if we have an injury at CB, based on reports out of today's practice:

Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree Continue Chemistry at 49ers Camp