By Scooter_McG
Somewhat lost amid the news the 49ers were trading up to
pick #3, the 49ers added a couple more depth pieces in FA late last week in LB
Nate Gerry and WR Mohamed Sanu.
Nate Gerry has played four seasons in the NFL, all with the
Eagles, after being a 5th round selection in 2017. He played as a
safety for Nebraska in college, and was PFF’s second highest graded college
safety in 2016. At 6’2” and approximately 220lbs at the NFL combine (now up to
230lbs according to NFL.com), his athletic profile better suited the modern day
coverage LB and that is where the Eagles played him. He started 22 of the 46
games he played for the Eagles over the past four years, while also being a
contributor on STs.
Following Gerry’s signing, he reportedly indicated that the reason
he signed with the 49ers over other offers was due to the “opportunity for more
playing time, and the potential to start”. With Warner and Greenlaw presumably locked
in as starters, this would suggest the 49ers see Gerry as a potential option to
play the SAM position in 4-3 base, which has been manned in recent seasons by
other, smaller LB/S hybrids such as Alexander, Nzeocha and Flannigan-Fowles. He
will also no doubt provide depth behind Warner and Greenlaw, while also contributing
on STs which continues to be a point of focus for the players being brought in.
For Sanu, this represents his second stint with the team having
been on the 49ers roster for three games last season, before being released. He
also played seven games for the Lions (with four starts). Sanu is very familiar
with Kyle Shanahan’s offense having also played for the Falcons in their record
setting 2016 season.
In his prime Sanu was a respectable number two WR with a
play style very much in the mold of Kendrick Bourne. In his nine seasons he has
four times exceeded the 50 catch mark, while he has five seasons surpassing 500
yards. However, at this stage in Sanu’s career he is now more of a backup and
rotational WR than a bona fide starter. For the 49ers Sanu brings veteran
leadership qualities that are otherwise sorely lacking in the WR room. He has
the potential to fill in as Bourne’s replacement (though he was unable to
supplant Bourne last season), but I suspect he will be in something of a battle
just to make the final 53-man roster. If he doesn’t make the 53, don’t be
surprised if he is kept around as one of the 49ers veteran PS members.
Scooter, thanks for the article. Your “how they fit” series is very helpful to me and I’m sure others. We’ve been quite active in free agency this year, as you know. I can’t recall this level of activity, and I see it as the team implementing some master plan to reshape itself.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I wonder if signing Gerry is part of a plan to Bucknerize (your term) Warner and at the same time secure the first pick of the Draft. What if Urban Meyer wants Fields and not Lawrence? Hope springs eternal but might there be a legitimate path for us? Much stranger things have happened on Draft Day.
Thanks George.
DeleteI think one of the points of bringing in a rookie QB is the contract allows them to pay a guy like Warner. So I don't think they will feel the need to move him on. I also don't think Gerry is a guy you feel comfortable with as your starting MLB - if they did trade Warner they would still need to replace him, likely with a highish pick.
Strange things do happen in the draft, but I think all signs point to Lawrence and Wilson being taken before the 49ers pick.
Always the realist.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'd be stoked if Wilson falls to #3, or if this is a prelude to a further trade up, but yeah, don't see it happening.
DeleteThe thing that excites me though, regardless of which QB they take, its going to be Shanahan's hand picked guy. He knows exactly the type of traits he wants to run his offense. I suspect whoever it is will be just fine.
Scooter, you know how much I respect you knowledge and opinion. That said, I find your confidence in Kyle as an evaluator of NFL level quarterback talent to be a little polyannish, if I'm being honest.
DeleteHere's what I mean: The first choice of QB that Kyle made as a newly minted HC was to sign Brian Hoyer in free agency, who ended up as the opening day starter because he followed up that decision by drafting CJ Beathard in the 3rd round (much higher than he was projected by every single scout I could find on record) after choosing to pass on both Patrick Mahomes and DaShaun Watson. I understand part of the thinking was that journeyman Brian Hoyer had familiarity with Kyle's system, but judging the results, everyone of this decisions ended up being the wrong one. of decision turned out to be a bad one. To make matters worse, he clearly inexplicably signed off on inking Jimmy Garoppolo to a franchise caliber contract, after he started a mere 5 games, and hadn't yet even demonstrated a full grasp of his system. During his tenure as the 49ers HC, the UFDA QB Kyle essentially hand picked to potentially lock down the backup spot, ultimately turned out to be a fraud, and a guy who couldn't get out of his own way for most of his 4 years with the team.
But here we are, and Kyle has that rare, golden opportunity to draft a blue chip QB prospect, and he doesn't even need to count on that young QB to take the reigns as a rookie, week one of the regular season. In fact, Kyle has found himself in a dream scenario, IMO, with a talented but extremely injury prone QB who has already proven talented enough to take his team to the Super Bowl, and can take the role of a bridge QB, while Kyle's handpicked, elite level prospect is ultimately afforded an opportunity to learn the system, and develop his game.
I only wish I could be as confident as you are Scooter, and could ignore the mistakes Kyle has already made at the position. Unfortunately my brain doesn't work that way, which is why the possibility of Kyle choosing Mac Jones to be the franchise, to be a scary proposition!
Boy do I hope Kyle gets this one right, because the 49ers future, as well as Kyle's reputation, is hanging in the balance!
49,
DeleteI think you might be slightly overreacting to these things.
1. Hoyer was not seen as anything more than a bridge because they were not expecting to compete year 1.
2. The Beathard pick is overstated by most. The 49ers had double digit picks in that draft, and John Lynch felt comfortable offering one of his 7th rounders along with a 4th rounder to move up to very bottom of the 3rd to get Beathard. He wasn't a top 100 pick.
As to Jimmy's contract, it was overstated in terms of Money and commitment. This was very team friendly deal as can be seen by the fact that Kyle has never felt the need to appease Jimmy and SF could move on at any point and feel almost no cap hit. In fact for as "big" as the contract was, after 2019 SF could have dumped him prior to April 1st and been out only something like 5.4M. It was extremely noncommittal.
People are making way too much of "missing" on Mahomes and Watson, and "missing" with Beathard (and now Hoyer added to the mix too).
DeleteIt is well known the 49ers didn't scout the QBs all that much in 2017, and that Shanahan had his eye on Cousins. Beathard wasn't drafted to be a starter. And Hoyer was just a stop gap that had experience with Kyle.
And JG is a competent starter. He wasn't his first choice, but after the way he played in 2017 it made sense to keep him.
We'll see what happens, but this is the first time he will ever be drafting the QB he wants early in the draft. I think he'll be fine.
Scooter and Should, to be clear, I am not trying to rip on Kyle the offensive genius, or even Kyle the head coach. I think he's absolutely brilliant, and in the upper echelon at both.
DeleteBut when it comes to purely evaluating QB's, even including his love affair with Kurt Cousins, or his "choices" of Hoyer/Beathard/Mullens, I have my concerns. I understand the situation wasn't as clear cut as I make it seem, but I'll be honest .... going all in on Mac Jones concerns me a great deal.
We'll see what happens.
I mean Shoup, of course. BTW, glad you are here Shoup.
DeletePosting from my phone guys, so please bare with my poor penmanship.
P.S. Where's Seb? Lol
Can Mac Jones be one of the top 5 in the league? If not, it's either, Lawrence, Wilson or Fields at pick #3 and the rest is all noise.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to my man, Nick Bosa dating supermodel, Jenna Berman:
ReplyDeletehttps://imagez.tmz.com/image/d6/4by3/2021/03/29/d6914ab9e9cd4dbcae19f296dbd7e66f_md.jpg
Well, now I understand why he might not be ready on opening day. His mind is on other things then rehabbing.
DeleteHa, understandable.
DeleteScooter
DeleteAs usual, another insightful write up on a couple of
late 9er fA signings.
* I'm still trying to wrap my head around the trade up to #3 and who the 9ers will draft there.
I have to agree with Razor, the 9ers could have got Mac Jones without trading as high as #3. Perhaps even at #12, although the so called "experts" all agree he's moving up the draft boards?
I also believe Jax drafts Lawrence and the NYJ draft Wilson, leaving Lance, Fields and Jones for the 9ers to pick from. At this point in time, I'm not sure the 9ers know which one they'll draft and they have a month to do their homework and decide. I'm looking forward to the 2021 season and how it plays out with JG and the new rookie QB.
Razor,
DeleteHow can this help Bosa’ knees? 😉
Range-of-motion exercise, which minimizes pain and inflammation. Released endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers. Strengthens the muscles around the joints, which helps support them.😏
DeleteInteresting article by Kyle Posey over at NN. He evaluates 4 QBs using the following criteria:
ReplyDelete1) Accuracy
2) Pocket movement/mobilit
3) Under pressure
4) Arm strength
5) Improv skills/Rushing ability
The rankings are: Fields, Lance, Wilson, Jones.
Here's what he has to say about Wilson and Jones:
"I’m always leery of a QB coming out of nowhere, and that’s the case for the final two. Both would excel in Shanahan’s offense, but who wouldn’t? Wilson has the biggest bust potential, while Jones has the lowest ceiling.
Wilson comes with a buyer beware tag who is the flavor of the month. He’s good, but not on the level as the others.
Jones can play, but he’s not a guy you would take in the top-10 picks in any other draft, so that shouldn’t change in this draft."
https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/3/30/22310120/qb-rankings-breaking-down-four-of-the-top-draft-qbs-by-trait-to-see-who-best-fits-the-49ers
One miss in the analysis, I think, is that he doesn't seem to evaluate the QBs for their ability to "read" defenses and go through their progressions.
Caught the Alabama pro day this morning and came away impressed with- Najee Harris.
ReplyDeleteThe star of the workout was supposed to be Mac Jones and I don’t believe he showed up (metaphorically speaking).
His deep passes were off target and he did not show much anticipation on shorter throws.
If we made a blockbuster trade to get Jones at #3 then after today’s workout the 49ers may have left Alabama with a few questions.
When one NFLNetwork commentator said, “Jones is a little better athletically better than Garoppolo” I couldn’t help but to think if this is enough for the 49ers to covet Jones.
*If anyone watched Jones’ pro day I’d be interested in your evaluation.
I came away less than impressed with Jones today. Then again, I think very highly of Najee!
DeleteOn the other hand, Fields pro day? Wowza! Fields was in total command, and his pro day rivaled Zach Wilson's.
If ShanaLynch take Mac Jones over Justin Fields, or Trey Lance for that matter, I will be hard to deal with for a while. And if they blow this .... well then they can no longer be trusted in finding a franchise QB.
And tell me why again did they pay Garoppolo so much after 5 fricken starts?
There were some overthrows. He showed arm strength, and more athleticism than I would have expected (4.7 40, 32" vertical). Unfortunately, pro days don't play to Jones' supposed strengths; progressions, reading defense. But it was concerning in regard to some accuracy concerns.
DeleteFields looked amazing; I watched on NFL Network. Has the arm, showed competitiveness in wanting to re-do one throw he overthrew, and of course his athleticism was amazing (as expected). Again, my concern with Fields (ability to be accurate on second, third read) can't be tested during Pro Days. Still, Fields definitely outshined Jones.
I only put a ton of stock in a pro day if a QB shows very poorly. I thought Mac Jones was poor. I wasn't surprised that Fields shined either. In fact, the first thing that went through my mind when I heard about the trade, was Justin Fields being the Niners next "franchise" QB. Personality wise ... Fields is an major alpha male and a natural leader of men, so check that box! He's as competitive as anyone, so check that box as well. And his physical tool set is absolutely elite level stuff! The only question is ... how quickly can he adapt to the NFL from a mental standpoint. Well, sit behind Jimmy for a season, and you will not only be a contender this season, especially if Jimmy stays healthy, but they will be a top team for years to come. I have no question that Fields has superstar potential. We've seen it for 2 years! He was an elite prospect coming out of high school. He might have been the most exciting college QB in 2019, and his game against Clemson in this year's playoffs, was one of the all time great college QB performances I have ever witnessed in all of my year.
DeleteAnd frankly, I recently watch the Northwestern game which is supposed to be his worst game .... if that's a worse game of a college career, it's nothing to be ashamed of. He made so many nice passes his receivers failed to come up with, and the INT he threw to end the half was a great throw, only happened to be the INT of the year on behalf of the defender making ng a crazy one-handed catch.
And talk about a physical QB specimen .. WOW. Then again, Lance is a physical freak as well. And Wilson is just a freak, although he's also a fantastic athlete.
DeletePeople keep forgetting, Kyle's system is a QB friendly system. I am 99.9% sure Fields can excell as a passer in Kyle's system, once he learns it, which admittedly could take up to a full year. Just because Fields wasn't asked to go through his progressions as much doesn't mean he can't.Seem like a smart kid. Tons of poise.
DeleteMy 2021 QB prospect rankings are currently:
1) Lawrence
2a) Wilson
2b) Fields
2c) Lance
5) Jones
I'll be happy with 2a, 2b, or 2c, whoever Kyle chooses to be the heir apparent. Mc Jones would be a massive disappointment for me, at least initially, and it will take a while for Mac to prove otherwise for me.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Jeremiah
@MoveTheSticks
From a scout at Ohio State
Justin Fields 4.43
12:41 PM · Mar 30, 2021
Just based on today’s pro day, I don’t believe that Jones did anything to narrow the gap between himself, Trevor and Wilson.
ReplyDeleteNow the question becomes if Jones warrants all the draft capital we gave up.
My biggest disappointment with Jones today was his inability to hit WRs (unfortunate because he had his best receiver on the field) with the long passes. For a QB mostly recognized by his accuracy this was a let down, imho.
A lot of stock being put into pro days. If it was all based on pro days I would say Wilson/ Fields equal footing, then Lance then Jones. But... pro days. Don't mean a whole lot.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting things out of the pro days today for me were:
- Rapaport, after speaking with every team, said he would be shocked if Jones isn't a top 10 pick and thinks probably top 5. Definitely in play for 3. The change in narrative is starting.
- Belichick was at the Alabama pro day, and spoke with Kyle and Lynch. Wouldn't be shocked if that was the main reason for Kyle and Lynch being at the Alabama pro day today.
Scooter
DeleteWould agree with you, "A lot of stock being put into pro days." But the fact there's no Combine this year,
makes it more important than a normal year.
From what I've seen so far, all the QB pro days tended to reinforce what I already believed. At this point, I'll believe in Shanahan knowing what he wants in a QB, and drafting who he believes best fits his system.
Not all based on pro day, but as, Geep points out, the lack of combine inflates it's importance somewhat. Also, they wouldn't have more than one if they weren't valued a little more this year.
DeleteThey are allowing schools to have two pro days because teams can't always attend on the day a pro day is scheduled. It allows teams greater opportunity to see the players in person that the combine would typically afford.
DeleteI imagine teams are giving as much credence to how these guys throw at their pro days as they do to how the QBs throw at the combine/ pro days in a normal year. Which to my understanding is not much.
Have they had two pro days before?
DeleteBy all reports, the Seahawks fell for Russell Wilson based, at least on part, due to his combine and pro day workouts.
Delete*At least "in part"
DeleteNot as far as I am aware razor. But as I said, the reason for it is because there is no combine, where all 32 teams would typically have an opportunity to meet the top prospects.
DeleteIf im a HC/GM i would avoid Mac Jones and Justin Fields, it would be Lance or Wilson.
ReplyDeleteFields scares me even more than Mac Jones with going through progressions(big difference to Wilson,Jones and Lance) lesser football iq and pocketpresence that's not up to it, but biggest foaw is dont looking off WR's that's almost impossible to teach in the NFL where everything is faster than in college.
In the big games hé wasnt up to it NW,Indiana
Like a RGIII till they figure him out than its fading out.
Good luck who drafts him.
Mac Jones good luck after his pro day really camt imagine that we draft him cuz we need a lot more athleticism and guys who thrives off platform.
David Lombardi mildly suggested last week by putting up the possible starting Olinemen for 2021 with P. Sewell as a starter. One thing has been evident in this regime and that is to expect the unexpected. Lombardi may be on to something here.
ReplyDeleteWith Mac Jones having the lowest pro day among the top 4 QBs, perhaps the 49ers were in Alabama just to do their due diligence. With NFL canceling private team workouts, these pro days have become a valuable asset for these players to showcase their skills. Jones didn’t seem to take advantage of that today. I still like Mac, but not to point of giving up as much capital as we did.
Per Adam Schefter, 49ers really like Jones and Lance, and intrigued by Fields. If pick was today, believes it would be Jones, but could change.
ReplyDeleteInteresting tidbit from talking with teams - the NFL is much higher on Jones than the NFL media. Something I said was likely the case not long ago. The longer that rumours of Jones at 3 persist, the more you will see the narrative around him change in the media leading up to the draft. Happens all the time.
Niners will be playing one extra road game this year due to the 17 game schedule.
ReplyDeleteLance Zierlein,
ReplyDeletePick 3
San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance
North Dakota State · QB · Sophomore (RS)
Lance was the projected selection for the 49ers in my mock draft 1.0, when they held the No. 12 pick, so it won't be a surprise if he's the player they're targeting after trading up. He's such a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Zierlein, see’s it differently. He’s been on the Trey Lance train for a while and apparently nothing he’s seen from Jones and Fields has changed his mind.
Im gonna stir the pot again ��
ReplyDeleteOne note of intrigue from the day was reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Breer said that Lance was running elements of both Kyle Shanahan (49ers) and Arthur Smith’s offensive schemes during the showcase.
“The idea was simple for Avery and Lance, and that was to show the part that all those teams, and Lance himself, missed in the fall: the football itself,” Breer said. “As part of that effort, Avery plucked concepts from a number of different NFL schemes—pieces of Kyle Shanahan’s Niners offense, and what Falcons coach Arthur Smith did in Tennessee, for example, are incorporated—to try to give the teams there a feel for how Lance projects.”
The Atlanta Falcons are legitimate contenders for Trey Lance and he can tell by their interest
Trade up was after completion of Lance and Wilson pro days.
Can someone describe the similarities how Artur Smith his offense was in Tennessee compared to Shanny here?
Smith coached under Matt LaFleur - his offense uses is run heavy with a lot of zone concepts, play action, etc. Not exactly the same as Shanahan, using a lot more inside zone and more power/ gap as well, but based on a lot of the same principles.
DeleteYou are preaching to the choir when it comes to Lance (well, for me at least). He's the guy I think they are after, unless Wilson somehow makes it to #3. Lance played in a system at NDSU that used a lot of similar principles to what Shanahan runs, and I think it highly unlikely that Shanahan would feel comfortable drafting a QB at #3 he hasn't seen can handle a lot of the things he likes to do.
I also like Wilson , but thanks for your input Kiwi ��
ReplyDelete