Let's Talk Niners

Some people are still shaking their heads that Glen Coffee, the former star running back at Alabama, announced his retirement from football on Friday. He had played one season for the 49ers.

Gentry Estes of The Mobile Press-Register in Alabama spoke with Coffee about his choice:

TUSCALOOSA — It’s OK if you don’t quite understand. Glen Coffee expected that.

Coffee announced his unexpected retirement at age 23 with a brief statement Friday, prompting widespread speculation as to the reasons.

Coffee had been “wrestling” with the decision for a while, he said in a Saturday interview. He said he came to the conclusion that God had another plan for him other than football, and leaving the sport “was just me doing what I should have done a long time ago.”

Coffee seems likely to enter the ministry or a similar career in the religious field, but said he won’t force it.

According to reports, the San Francisco 49ers are set to trade defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

Balmer, a former first round selection in the 2008 Draft, has been a major disappointment from a performance perspective. So far, he’s registered a mere 19 tackles and has failed to start a single game.

I believe it’s safe to say he’s been a major bust.

Even making matters worse, Balmer has been involved in NCAA allegations saying that he paid for a trip to California for two of his former UNC teammates. Despite not appearing to be a significant issue, it is a violation of the NCAA’s preferential treatment rule. That being so, this would have been an unwelcomed distraction for the 49ers organization.

Now, if that wasn’t bad enough, Balmer also decided to skip out on mandatory training camp sessions. At first he was given a two-day leave to handle his NCAA matters. However, last Wednesday head coach Mike Singletary informed him that he was being considered unexcused. He was then given a five-day letter telling him to report back to the team, but he failed to do so.

“He’s not here. He is under contract. The fact that he’s not here, that speaks to me…. If he wanted to be here, he’d be here,” Singletary stated when asked about the situation.

In response, Balmer told the San Jose Mercury News, “People are making a big deal about nothing. I feel like the 49ers could do a better job of saying that, but it’s not my place to say.”

That said, I had predicted the team would cut ties with the two-year pro immediately.

With the little to no potential he had displayed on game days, along with his apparent lack of desire and his new added baggage, it was simply best for the two sides to part ways.

On the other hand, the Seahawks did add a big body (6’5″, 315 lbs.) to their interior defensive line. With the appropriate training, he could add quality depth and work his way into their four-man front rotation.

I think a fresh start is exactly what he needs, and I hope he can make the best of it. It was unfortunate that his tenure in San Francisco had to end this way, but then again, I felt that drafting him was a huge mistake in the first place.

Nonetheless, I wish him the best of luck moving forward with his career and life in general.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday signed veteran cornerback William James to a one-year contract.

James played in 16 games (14 starts) for the Lions last season, recording 73 tackles and two interceptions.

Originally a third-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2001 draft, James has posted 270 tackles, 51 passes defensed, eight interceptions, and one forced fumble in 92 career games (60 starts) with the Giants, Eagles, Jaguars, and Lions.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Patrick Willis has developed into an All-Pro under Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, and the San Francisco 49ers’ coach expects his top defender to become better than he ever was.
Willis is a big deal to the 49ers — and he earned himself a big new deal Tuesday because of it.
The standout middle linebacker signed a five-year, $50 million contract extension that takes him through the 2016 season and includes $29 million in guaranteed money from the 49ers. He’s set to make $10 million per season.
“Wow. It’s been a long journey, but it’s not over yet. I feel like it’s just beginning,” Willis said during a news conference at team headquarters. “It means a lot. It shows they really wanted me here — and it shows what they want and what I want are the same things: to win.”
It’s another big offseason splash by new 49ers personnel chief Trent Baalke, who took charge after general manager Scot McCloughan’s abrupt departure in March. The team’s lead negotiator, Paraag Marathe, worked with Willis’ agent, Ben Dogra, over the recent months to seal the deal. Willis had two years left on his contract, too.
Locking up Willis for the long haul makes sure the 49ers keep their dominant defensive leader after they bolstered their offense in last month’s draft with two linemen picked 11th and 17th overall — Rutgers’ Anthony Davis and Idaho’s Mike Iupati, respectively.
“The most important message management sent today is for those guys that go out and perform, we’re going to take care of our guys, and Pat is a tremendous example of that,” Singletary said. “It’s a great day for the 49er organization. Our management could see the value, our ownership could see the value, in a young man like Patrick Willis, who embodies everything, on the field, off the field.”
Willis, the 11th overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Ole Miss, has led the 49ers in tackles in each of his first three seasons and made 48 consecutive starts. He has received plenty of comparisons to Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis along the way, though Singletary considers them different players.
“You can never just be great. Every day is a work in progress,” said Willis, who prides himself in being able to stop the run, blitz or match up with receivers. “When I’m done playing, I want to leave a legacy that says, ‘You know, this guy gave everything he had, and he’s one of the best players to ever play at that position.’”
In March, Willis underwent surgery on his right knee to remove an inflamed fluid sac that kept him out of this year’s Pro Bowl. He said he’s close to being ready to return to the field.
Before the 49ers drafted Willis, Singletary wasn’t initially sold on the linebacker’s NFL potential. Once Singletary learned a little more about Willis — like the fact he basically raised three younger siblings and dealt with the drowning death of his 17-year-old brother, Detris, and that he played not only hurt but also with a heavy heart — the coach changed his stance in a hurry.

“I told Scot (McCloughan) before the draft, ‘We’ve got to get this guy,’” Singletary said.
Singletary said Willis possesses “that passion to make every play.” It’s Singletary who has kept pushing Willis to improve through even more hard work — and the linebacker appreciates that constant presence from his coach.
“What I’ve done the last three years is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Willis, who’s just 25. “People think they’ve seen the best I have to offer, but they haven’t by far. There’s so much improvement in my game that I have to get to. And I’m willing to work every day to get to that point. But the best is yet to be seen by myself or this team in general.”
The 49ers went 8-8 last season after a promising 3-1 start. Several last-minute losses on the road and inconsistent play on both sides of the ball and in special teams kept San Francisco from reaching the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season — though the team did end a franchise-worst stretch of six consecutive losing seasons.
Willis is ready to end the playoff drought, and he’s talking big in early May.
“This is a championship team right now. It’s bigger than just a playoff team,” he said. “I mean, I think we are a championship-caliber team. … We will bring the sixth championship here, and I’ll be here.”

49ERS STADIUM: All the publicity on the 49ers stadium lately has focused on the attitude of Santa Clara voters, but that’s almost irrelevant. Any stadium is all about money, and this is certainly no exception.
The 49ers’ plan depends on a public-private combination, which is why they need Santa Clara ’s involvement. Though the G3 program has paid out all the money in it, everybody around the NFL assumes that it will be replenished before the 49ers would need it for their stadium. The program provides that the league would “loan” a team up to $150 million for a new stadium. It’s really a gift, not a loan, because the money is re-paid out of the visitors’ share of the gate.

The Santa Clara contribution will be small, less than 20 per cent of the total cost of the stadium, so the 49ers will be on the hook for at least $500 million. Who’s going to pay that? Not Denise DeBartolo. She’s a smart businesswoman who knows the only way to recoup that investment would be by selling the team, which her husband, John York, doesn’t want to do. That’s the only reason they still own the team.
If the team is in the playoffs and in serious competition for a Super Bowl berth, other economic possibilities open up. PSLs, for instance, and private investment.

Winning is always important, but it’s especially vital to the 49ers right now.

DRAFTNIKS: The NFL draft is great fun, but you always have to remember that everybody in the media is guessing, and I include myself in that. The crucial point: Nobody who isn’t in a team’s organization ever sees the team’s board, which shows how the decision-makers rate the players and the team’s needs. Mel Kuiper Jr. has made a living out of doing this and he talks to a lot of NFL people, but all that means is that he gets lied to a lot.

The 49ers picked up another player who fell, USC safety Taylor Mays, and there are all sorts of wild stories coming out of Los Angeles from Trojan alums. Among them: Pete Carroll talked Mays out of leaving as a junior, costing him untold millions because he would have been a No. 5 pick last year; Carroll badmouthed Mays this year, saying he wasn’t good in pass coverage, and that reputation lingered.
To take them in order: The top five projection last year was simply a guess; see above. I saw speculation he would go as high as six or seven this year. There’s no reason to think he wouldn’t have fallen last year as he did this year.

The second claim is even sillier. The only reason Carroll would have badmouthed Mays is to pick him up after clubs had passed on him, but when he was available on the second round, Carroll passed on him.
And I can tell you, after years of experience with NFL front offices, the last thing NFL teams listen to is a coach’s evaluation of his players, which is always biased. They make their own evaluations, mainly from watching hours of video.They also judge players in context: Mays played with some very good teammates, which always makes a player look better.

I don’t know why he fell but I think the Niners may have gotten a steal. And if he’s determined to show that those who passed on him were wrong, so much the better.

We were very pleased with the 49ers choices in the 1st round. Up front protection will go a great way in allowing Alex and the offense to move forward this season. We feel both of our selections will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact this season!!

Here is the deal: Denver traded the No. 11 overall pick to San Francisco in exchange for the No. 13 pick overall and a fourth-round pick (No. 113).

Our Reaction: Obviously the team had The Skinny: The Niners selected Rutgers tackle/guard Anthony Davis in mind and were not willing to take the chance that he might not last 2 more picks.

We ended up taking Anthony Davis with the No. 11 pick, he is a a big, athletic offensive lineman now charged to protect quarterback Alex Smith. Davis is a terrific athlete at (6-5 323) and has drawn comparisons to Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe. We will soon see what we have and are looking forward to hearing more about Anthony soon. Speaking with Dwight Hicks last night, he was impressed with Davis and the fact that he came out of a very disciplined Rutgers program.

With the 17th pick we selected Mike Iupati, offensive lineman, Idaho (6-6, 330): A guard with the nastiness of a defensive lineman, Iupati earned All-American first-team honors last season and was named a finalist for the Outland Trophy. Isaac Sapoago has a new friend on the team. Hopefully Mike will add to our protection this year. We also loved his Tatoo’s!!

Scouting Reports

Davis displays good fluidity out of his stance in pass protection and exhibits a compact initial kick-step off the ball. But he does have a tendency to get a bit overextended from a two-point stance. He will need to tighten his footwork a bit at the next level. Displaying impressive range for his size as a pass blocker, Davis possesses the footwork to quickly reach defenders off the edge. Extends his long arms well into blocks and uncoils a jolting punch at the point of attack. Once he locks on, the battle is over. He will still occasionally lunge into blocks on the edge and lose his balance, but he has improved his patience significantly. Looks very confident one-on-one in space. Displays good balance and body control when asked to redirect in space. Does a nice job changing directions and mirroring the counter move. Exhibiting a powerful base, he sits into his stance and anchors on contact. He certainly has the power to hold the point of attack against the bull-rush. Looks natural on the move in the run game. Does a nice job breaking down in space and hitting/sealing targets at the second level. Displays natural power on contact as an in-line run blocker, consistently turning defenders away from the ball and saying on blocks. But he’s too often slipped easily on contact. Overall, he looks like the nation’s premier left tackle prospect.

Iupati is an impressive natural bender for his size who coils up into his stance well and can quickly get off of the snap. He showcases impressive initial quickness and has the range to both cleanly reach opposing tackles shooting the gaps on either side and to lock out on contact. He sets quickly in pass protection and does a nice job keeping his pad level down and gaining initial leverage. Iupati showcases good lateral quickness for his size when asked to mirror in space and displays a devastating punch on contact. But he has a tendency to get overextended at times, which leads to him losing track of his man. He exhibits the body control to regain his balance quickly and make up for a false step, making everything look effortless. He does a nice job extending his long arms on contact, getting his hands inside and anchoring at the point of attack. Yet he isn’t a Velcro player. He looks content to punch and doesn’t do a great job of locking out on blocks. He showcases good awareness in pass protection and is quick to slide laterally and help out his left tackle one-on-one, displaying impressive lateral range. He consistently is able to get under defenders in the run game, pump his legs through contact and drive them cleanly away from the ball. Iupati plays with a real mean streak. He isn’t technically sound when asked to seal defenders and is so physically gifted that he can get away with it. But he needs to do a better job getting his feet around and dropping his anchor and locking out instead of just chucking the defender aside. He’s an impressive athlete who displays great lateral quickness and power for a guy his size. However, he’s a bit raw with his hands and has a tendency to get overextended and lose his balance.

We are pleased with the 49ers direction in the 1st round. We will update you on our 2nd round pick soon.

GO NINERS!!

The Fan Club is officially back!!! Looking forward to hearing your comments!!