Posts Tagged ‘49ers’

NFL Draft: Day One Recap

Friday, April 27th, 2012


Winners

 Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins

They did what they were reportedly doing for the past two months. Both teams added a potential superstar quarterback to build their team around. Based upon history one of the quarterbacks will be a stud and the other will bust. I think Andrew Luck will become a star and lead the Colts to the upper echelon of the NFL. I love Robert Griffin 3 as a person and as a player. He will be athletic and give the Redskins a spark but will not be a winner at the next level. He will be a .550 quarterback that will be fun to watch but will come up short in big games.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys did a great job in round one. They had to make a move on the defensive side of the ball. They got my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Morris Claiborne was a top 5 talent and arguably the best defensive player on the board.

 

New England Patriots

The Patriots did the opposite of what they usually do and moved up in the draft to get players they coveted. They selected two players who can start week 1. They improved a defense that hurt them late in the season and cost them a Super Bowl. They added Don’t’a Hightower with the 25th over all pick. He will fit in nicely next to Jerod Mayo. They also added defensive end Chandler Jones, brother of UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones. He will fit in with the defensive line whether he starts or is just part of the rotation.

 

St Louis Rams

They Rams selected Michael Brockers 14th overall. The Rams front office made great deals to move back a couple times, collect more picks and still get a week 1 starter to help on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams will be able to give Sam Bradford help throughout the rest of the draft.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Moving up to get Justin Blackmon was a great move by the Jaguars. Offensively the Jaguars were a mess last season and they gave Blaine Gabbert a legit receiver. The Jaguars can add depth with the rest of the draft and improve their team moving forward.

 

 

 

Losers

 

Buffalo Bills

Stephon Gilmore is a talented corner that should be productive, however as a top 10 pick it’s a big reach. Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins were still on the board when the bills picked and will be more productive at the next level. When you draft in the top 10 you need to get a player that will make an instant impact.

 

Seattle Seahawks

Bruce Irvin was selected at 15th overall by the Seattle Seahawks. He is a very athletic and talented defensive end but has a very interesting past and off the field issues. Even if you ignore his off the field issues, he is not an every down player and going top 15 is a huge reach.

 

San Francisco 49ers

While AJ Jenkins is a little reach for the 49ers, the reason this was a bad pick for the 49ers is less about Jenkins and more about what players were still on the board. With Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin and Peter Konz all available the 49ers could have solidified their offensive line and got a receiver later in the draft. If the 49ers were focused on receiver Stephen Hill or Alshon Jeffery seem like higher upside and better potential at receiver.

 

Cleveland Browns

While I like the selection of Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson is a highly touted player that would have been a beast in many situations but in a division where you play Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice a season this pick will not end well. The Browns should have gone Justin Blackmon and have a pass first offense. If you look at the last Super Bowl champions, offensively they have had dynamic quarterbacks with high octane passing offenses.

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The Future of Peyton Manning

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

With a medically cleared Peyton Manning and rift that has occurred with Jim Irsay the writing on the wall for Peyton Manning to leave Indy. The number one pick is in the Colts hands and ready for Andrew Luck to be delivered. Peyton Manning is going to follow the likes of Joe Montana and Joe Namath as a face of the franchise to move on before the end of their career. The Colts will be releasing Peyton Manning before the 28 million dollar bonus is due, thus leaving Peyton a free agent and putting the ball in Peyton’s court.

Peyton is going to looking at a situation that will give him a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl. The number of teams Peyton can sign with that need a quarterback and give him a realistic shot at the Super Bowl is small group.  Peyton has made his money and is now only looking to add rings to his fingers.

 

Super Bowl contenders

San Francisco 49ers

Peyton Manning can step right in the 49er offense and take the team right back to NFC championship and farther. The 49ers defense is amongst the best in the league with a dynamic front four, a stud linebacker in Patrick Willis and a ball hawking secondary that makes big plays in the clutch. Peyton will be behind a solid offensive line that will give him a ton of protection, a running game that has proven to be powerful and dynamic weapons like Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, that will only improved with Peyton getting them the ball. Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers ready to win and Peyton is the piece that puts them over the top. A Peyton versus Eli rivalry could be year in and year out rivalry with a trip to the super bowl on the line for the next few seasons.

 

New York Jets

With the Jets, Peyton Manning could be the calming force in a locker room seemingly full of turmoil. The Jets have a strong defense with lockdown corners that will keep the Jets in all the games. Manning will have strong targets to get the ball to in Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller and potentially Plaxico Burress coming back. He can hand the ball to Shonn Greene who will have a better season with season with Peyton under center. The idea of two Mannings in New York is exciting and will only fuel the rivalry. With Peyton in New York a Super Bowl featuring both teams from New York and two Mannings is a likely scenario.

Sharing a city with his brother Eli Manning and a division with Tom Brady are two signs that point to Peyton not signing with the Jets. Peyton being the ultimate competitor, this might intrigue him and motivate him. I never count Rex out.

 

Contenders with flaws

 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins proved last year with questionable quarterback play, that they can be competitive. They have a improving defense with big play ability. He will have weapons on the offensive side of the ball in big play receiver Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush who proved he could be an every down back. The Dolphins have one of the issues Manning would face in New York, being in the same division as Tom Brady on a team with seemingly less talent. The Dolphins also feature first year coach Joe Philbin, which could scar of Manning. The connection with Philbin could bring free agent Matt Flynn to town, which might make more sense for a team closer to the rebuilding phase as opposed to being a contender.

 

Tennessee Titans

What is a better way to stick it to your old team than playing with a division rival? The Tennessee Titans have great offensive line, talented receivers in Kenny Britt and Nate Washington. The ability to hand of to Chris Johnson, who should have a shot at returning to old form with defenses forced to not load the box and respect the passing game. The Titans also have a talented defense that can take the Titans deep in the playoffs with Manning under center. The Titans are in a very winnable division, which only helps their chance of luring him to Nashville. Peyton also attended the University of Tennessee, where his is revered for his time as a Volunteer.

 

Wildcards

 

New Orleans Saints

A native of New Orleans, Peyton could return to his home and play for the home team. While the Saints have had success ever since Drew Brees took over under center, including a Super Bowl victory, rumors are swirling that there is some issues with the contract extension.  Logic would dictate that Brees will be returning to New Orleans. However, if Peyton Manning is your fall back if there is some reason the Saints can’t lock up Brees. The Saints are built to win now and with Manning they will not skip a beat.

 

Dallas Cowboys

The Tony Romo era could come to a halt quickly if Peyton Manning comes to town. The Cowboys are loaded with talented players and the thought of Peyton Manning under center has to give Jerry Jones a tingly feeling all over. I never count Jerry Jones out of anything, much like his NBA counterpart in Dallas, Mark Cuban. Peyton Manning makes the Cowboys a favorite with Green Bay in the NFC. Manning could be a calming factor that provides stability and the idea of throwing to Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten has to be an exciting thought to Jerry and the Cowboys. The Cowboys could move Romo for a piece to help the secondary.

If I were in Peyton Manning’s shoes, my choice would be either the San Francisco 49ers or Tennessee Titans. The 49ers are in a division that should be locked up for the next few seasons, a conference that features an easier road to the Super Bowl and a team that is ready to win now. The 49ers made it to the NFC championship with Alex Smith under center and the difference between he and Peyton Manning is vast.

With the Tennessee Titans, the talent level isn’t as high as what the 49ers feature but as a competitor that chance to play the Colts twice a year and keep your former team out of the playoffs has to excite Manning. With Manning under center the Titans have the ability to make a serious run at a super bowl title. Only time will tell what the future has in store for Peyton Manning. He should be released early next week after the Super Bowl hoopla is over. What happens from then will shake out after the draft, during free agency.

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Special Teams blunders cost teams trip to Indy

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

I can only imagine how frustrated the 49ers and Ravens players must be right now. The idea of spending so much time working towards one goal and to have their seasons end the way they did. The frustration in their respective locker rooms is something I’m not going to try and imagine. I don’t want to place blame on any one player but three players had chances to make plays or avoid making bad ones and couldn’t come through.

In New England, the Ravens did not play up to the ability they had shown all season. The Patriots did a great job slowing down Ray Rice and putting the game in the hands of Joe Flacco. While Flacco did not have an amazing game by any means, he stepped up and made the throws when it mattered most. The pass he threw to Lee Evans was a prefect throw. Lee Evans had the ball in his hands, took two steps and just like the Ravens season, the ball slipped threw his fingertips. I’m not sure if he thought he had possession and let up a little or if Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore was able to get his hand on the perfect spot. Either way there is no excuse for not coming down with the football in that situation. If you want to earn the right to go to the biggest game, you have to make plays when it matters most.

Even with the drop, the Ravens could have kicked a field goal and forced overtime. Unfortunately for Baltimore, a 32-yard field goal was too much for Billy Cundiff to muster. He pushed the ball left and gave the Patriots the victory, When the Ravens were on their final, they mentioned all of Cundiff’s stats from 50 yards away or more, and I remember thinking I hope this game doesn’t come down to him making a field goal. Sure enough, the game was put on his foot and he was unable to come through.

In San Francisco, a team that had had the best special teams all season long were about to be plagued by mistakes. Kyle Williams was back to return a punt with the 49ers up 17-10 late in the fourth quarter, makes blunder number one. A punt that was landing short of Williams and looked clearly like he had no interest in picking up, yet he got close enough where an errant bounce skips off of his knee and gives possession to the Giants. Eli will lead his team to a score, with a short field culminating with Mario Manningham in the back of the end zone.  Fast forward to the overtime, with Kyle Williams back to return another punt. I don’t know if he was trying to make up for his blunder in the 4th quarter, but he picked up the punt and began to run up the field, and before he could take more than a few steps, the ball was stripped from his hands and the Giants recovered. If Ted Ginn is healthy, maybe this doesn’t happen, but you can play on hypotheticals.

I still believe I had the right teams, when I made my predictions,(AFC and NFC) and both teams had the ball late in the game with the chance to make a play, however inability to complete drives, lack off effectiveness from the running backs and costly errors hurt the chances of HarBowl. I’m curious to see what both the Ravens and 49ers do in the off-season to improve their respective teams for next season. I give a lot of credit to the Giants and Patriots. These teams made the plays when it mattered most and showed why they both have super bowl titles in recent seasons.

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