This is our first installment of the most competitive position groups. 49ers TE's coach says Latu has all the talent to play the inline blocker role or receiving role. Said he was working through some injuries he incurred last year and that Latu is chomping at the bit to prove himself. Also indicated Saubert has better movement skills than what he thought watching his tape and expects him to have a significant role in the offense. Really likes Pline but indicated there's an adjustment period coming from the league he played in to the NFL, and how their TE playbook was a little more intricate than most around the league. Willis is doing all he can and is prepared to make a greater contribution.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIT'S ONLY OTA'S, BUT SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT?
Second-year pro Cameron Latu is absent from the opening of OTAs because of an injury. It's unclear whether or not it's related to the same knee injury he suffered at the end of the preseason last year that put him on injured reserve for all of 2023. It's more than evident however, that Latu needs a strong offseason to re-boost his stock and prove he's not a 3rd Rd Draft bust.
Eric Saubert hasn't looked like a viable pass-catcher and may only be utilized as a blocking option after the Niners lost Charlie Woerner to free agency earlier this offseason.
NOTE: This is according to Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn and I don't
put much faith in anything he says.
With Jake Brendel sidelined for OTAs due to arthritis in his knee or knee tendonitis, the Niners are making adjustments to their starting lineup. As reported by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Jon Feliciano, a versatile player who has previously lined up at center for the Niners, is stepping in during Brendel’s absence.
ReplyDeleteFeliciano played 26 snaps at center for the Niners last season when they needed him in a pinch.
In 2022, during his tenure with the New York Giants, Feliciano showcased his prowess as a center, starting all but three games, including two playoff games. This successful stint suggests that if anything does ever happen to Brendel, or if the Niners decide that Feliciano’s best position is center, it wouldn’t be a completely new role for the veteran.
Aside from Feliciano, Nick Zakelj and undrafted rookie Drake Nugent are the other options on the Niners at center.
Bartch too. My only concern with Feliciano is I prefer him coming off the bench as I'm not convinced his body will hold up all season long.
DeleteHAVE THE 9ERS FOUND ANOTHER LATE ROUND SLEEPER? LOOKS LIKE THEY MAY HAVE!
ReplyDelete49ers UDFA Anderson drawing early D.J. Jones comparison from Kocurek
Report: Brandon Aiyuk is asking the 49ers for a contract that beats Amon-Ra St. Brown's
ReplyDeletehttps://sports.yahoo.com/report-brandon-aiyuk-asking-49ers-083434190.html
The contract that wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signed with the Lions this offseason may serve as the basis of what Brandon Aiyuk expects from the 49ers.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are talking, and Aiyuk's goal is to beat St. Brown's contract and come in "at that number or higher," Jeremy Fowler reported on ESPN.
What constitutes "that number" for St. Brown is a little complicated, as the full details of St. Brown’s contract show it wasn't quite as great a deal as the initial reports suggested. But St. Brown's extension gives him $28 million a year through three years, and Aiyuk will be wanting something in that neighborhood.
The 49ers may simply be unwilling to give Aiyuk a contract that beats St. Brown's, however, and if they are, his options would be to take a lesser contract or play this year on his $14.1 million base salary and then head into 2025 as a free agent, where the 49ers could franchise tag him, sign him to a long-term deal, or let him walk.
As I outlined when Brown signed his contract, it's really a 5 yr $120m deal, not a 4 yr deal like gets reported, as it replaces the small $ he was slated to get this year on his previous rookie deal and adds 4 more years to it.
DeleteIf Aiyuk is happy to take a 5 year, $125m deal, I would call that a win for the 49ers in the current WR market.
Scooter
DeleteYea, as I read the article I remembered your post.....The question I'd ask is, do you think he'll take a 5year, $125m deal?
If not, do you think the 9ers will offer him more, use the franchise tag for 2025 or trade him after June 1st?
Hard to say what BA is thinking his value should be. But as per the report you outlined, I think that's the floor.
DeleteI'm thinking just under 53 mill guaranteed and just under 26 mill apy.
DeleteWhat would be Aiyuk's possible return in a trade? As much as it irks me, I would rather keep Aiyuk than Deebo. Aiyuk has shown up in big games while Deebo has been sub-par. If the 49ers don't budge on their number and are forced to trade Aiyuk, I would demand a 1st rd pick.
ReplyDeleteAES
ReplyDeleteFor what its worth, IMO, Aiyuk is better at getting open against man coverage than Deebo and also why I believe KS drafted WR Ricky Pearsall. Like Aiyuk, Pearsall is a better route runner that enables him to beat man coverage.
* "If the 49ers don't budge on their number and are forced to trade Aiyuk." I would remind you that the 9ers hold all the cards. They have
Aiyuk on contract for 2024 at $14.1M and can franchise tag him for
the 2025 and 2026 sseason.
* "IF" the 9ers did decide to trade Aiyuk, I doubt they'd let him go for
less than a first round draft pick and likely a 2nd mid to late round
draft pick, but I doubt it will come to that....TBD?
GEEP,
DeleteYou are correct about the 49ers holding the cards. But, is it worth having a disgruntled player on the field and locker room? I know it's not my money, but working out a deal that makes both parties happy could be the difference in another SB run.
Geep,
ReplyDeleteThey may hold all of the cards but they do not want to get the reputation of a team that plays hardball. They already have two large disadvantages when it come to signing free agents Ca. state taxes and housing costs. You add a 3rd stumbling block and it could effect their ability to sign FAs. Just ask the SF Giants.
DeleteHowever, there was another reason Rayshawn Jenkins picked the Seahawks over the 49ers: finances. Yes, San Francisco was willing to match Seattle's offer, but California's state taxes made the Pacific Northwest a more desirable location for the defensive player.
^ Banilla article
DeleteBonilla
DeleteOldCoach
ReplyDeleteDid the SF Giants have trouble signing FA's in 2010, 2012 and 2014, when they won the World Series with Bruce Bochy? Nope.
That's not to say Ca Taxes doesn't matter, they do. Housing prices, not so much. Yes, the price of housing is expensive, but when they're making millions they can write off the interest they pay on their multi million dollars home and they'll receive the equity when they sell, so buying an expensive house is a actually a profitable endeavor.
But seriously, as JL points out, the 9ers have a history of taking care
of their players, so I doubt not giving in to Aiyuk's demands will give
the 9ers the reputation of a team that "PLAYS HARDBALL!" And as
I said above, "I DOUBT IT WILL COME TO THAT!"