Look at what San Francisco has done in 3 years

[hambone35 23]

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

[pacolts56 3,910]

6 minutes ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

The Niners went 4-12 last year by virtue of Jimmy Gs torn ACL and got themselves the #2 overall pick.

 

Lynch did a terrific job with Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd and Dre Greenlaw all making nice contributions as rookies.

 

And, as you pointed out some free agent additions on top of what was already a pretty nice rebuild that Lynch had underway. 

 

SF is set up to be really good for a long time....and Lynch deserved to win the Executive of the Year award hands down.

[Four2itus 5,039]

Should there be a Ballard impressions thread?

[ojsglove 351]

15 minutes ago, Four2itus said:

Should there be a Ballard impressions thread?

Another one?

[Four2itus 5,039]

7 minutes ago, ojsglove said:

Another one?

Talking about a permanent one, like the one for AL and JB. 

[CR91 6,940]

55 minutes ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

 

Doesn't hurt when you have five first round picks on your dline

[crazycolt1 7,556]

2 hours ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

Don't you think losing a pro bowl QB before the start of the season might be part of the problem? 

 

 

[Freenyfan102 192]

Ballard is a Polian clone and never going to spend the money on players we actually need.

[needanoline63 126]

See what happens when you invest in your defensive line. All the 1st and 2nd round picks on that d line. We have the OLine(however it’s a problem if castonzo retires) now we need a defensive line

[Shadow_Creek 711]

6 hours ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

 

Are we seriously using the 9ers as an example after Luck retired???

[aaron11 1,680]

they have three top 10 picks on their d line, how are we supposed to follow that model?

 

we spent our high picks on the oline to protect luck and we still need offense now.  

[Myles 4,199]

7 hours ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

49rs drafted in the top 10 4 of the past 6 years.   That means they also drafted high in the other rounds.  Not sure that is a model you want to follow.  With Luck, we probably finish 11-5 or 12-4.   So we pretty much would nearly be there now.  

[lollygagger8 3,358]

Unfair comparison to start with.

 

Can't teams just develop their own identity instead of copying whoever makes it to the Superbowl? 

[boo2202 454]

Benefitting from years of top ten picks. The past 4-5 years and getting a steal with grappolo trade,’. 

[Mitch Connors 314]

2 hours ago, Shadow_Creek said:

 

Are we seriously using the 9ers as an example after Luck retired???

 

The Luck excuse is officially over.

 

Ballard knows Luck is not part of this team.

He has a top 15 pick. 

He has cap space (in part due to Luck leaving).

 

Relevant to the topic, the 49ers knew they needed a QB so they got one via trade. If Ballard CHOOSES to ignore a QB in the draft, trade and/or free agency the results are on him and have nothing to do with Luck.

[Jared Cisneros 3,874]

5 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Don't you think losing a pro bowl QB before the start of the season might be part of the problem? 

 

 

But Reich and Ballard called Brissett a top 20 QB. According to you they know more than the fanbase. So was that just a lie (we all know the answer)? You can't blindly trust the FO, then make excuses when something goes wrong. We called this from the start, and apparently he's not smarter than 31 other GM's (especially the Texans and Titans) and that's all that matters.

[pacolts56 3,910]

8 hours ago, Four2itus said:

Talking about a permanent one, like the one for AL and JB. 

And don't forget a Forum Members Impressions thread! 

 

[OffensivelyPC 1,121]

Oops...

[DougDew 2,601]

6 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Don't you think losing a pro bowl QB before the start of the season might be part of the problem? 

 

 

No, its not part of it at all.  Not when compared to the 49ers, where Jimmy G only threw like 11 passes and didn't have to carry the roster.  That's a big part of the OPs point.

[Mel Kiper's Hair 2,372]

26 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

But Reich and Ballard called Brissett a top 20 QB. According to you they know more than the fanbase. So was that just a lie (we all know the answer)? You can't blindly trust the FO, then make excuses when something goes wrong. We called this from the start, and apparently he's not smarter than 31 other GM's (especially the Texans and Titans) and that's all that matters.

 

What did you want Reich and Ballard to say when Luck retired? "JB sucks, there's no way we can win!" "Guys we might as well give up." "Let's tank for Tua!" They said what needed to be said when the franchise QB retired a week before the season started. They couldn't show panic and fear. There is no way you can plan for a player like Andrew Luck just retiring like he did. Before we start critiquing Ballard about the QB position let's at minimum give him this off season to address the issue. How many teams do you think could have handled their starting QB retiring one week before the season and still be in the playoff picture until the last 2 weeks of the season? Could the Texans? What about Green Bay? How about the Seahawks? What if Tom Brady had retired one week before the season started do you honestly think that Jarrett Stidham would have led them to the 3 seed? The Colts had to deal with a very rare situation and to be honest, I think they did about as good as possible. 

 

Do you honestly think that the GM's for the Texans and the Titans are better than Chris Ballard? I can't think of anything they have done that would set them apart as being better than Chris Ballard. At least give him this off season to address the issue before breaking out the torches and pitchforks!
 

[DougDew 2,601]

2 hours ago, aaron11 said:

they have three top 10 picks on their d line, how are we supposed to follow that model?

 

we spent our high picks on the oline to protect luck and we still need offense now.  

Yeah, and many are wanting to get an extend the play scrambling QB in the mold of Mahomes.  Doing so would render spending our high picks on Nelson and Smith a semi waste of capital.

 

Since we spent all of the expensive capital on Nelson and Smith in 2018, we should be wanting pocket passers like Eason or Fromm at pick 34.  Or the next Derrick Henry, LOL.

[jvan1973 5,492]

5 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Yeah, and many are wanting to get an extend the play scrambling QB in the mold of Mahomes.  Doing so would render spending our high picks on Nelson and Smith a semi waste of capital.

 

Since we spent all of the expensive capital on Nelson and Smith in 2018, we should be wanting pocket passers like Eason or Fromm at pick 34.  Or the next Derrick Henry, LOL.

Mahomes throws from the pocket just as much as Luck did 

[BigO 59]

5 hours ago, Freenyfan102 said:

Ballard is a Polian clone and never going to spend the money on players we actually need.

Agree 100 %. His history shows that. Like overpaying for devin funchess when other teams were not even interested in him

 

[DougDew 2,601]

7 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Mahomes throws from the pocket just as much as Luck did 

That may be a fact, but that's not what gives Mahomes his identity.  We're being drawn towards wanting more of a broken play, play maker.

 

Luck was known for getting killed in the pocket, which is why Ballard drafted a G at 6 and a G/T at 35.  To "fix" the Oline and to quiet the narrative that a poor oline is what got him injured.

 

[chad72 7,463]

10 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Mahomes throws from the pocket just as much as Luck did 

 

Yep, this article touches on it a bit:

 

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article238511543.html

 

This one gives the stats for Mahomes inside and outside the pocket, and surprisingly, they are very close. Plus, teams that design plays outside the pocket are also succeeding more.

 

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/teams-are-excelling-when-their-qbs-leave-the-pocket-can-that-continue/

 

 

[ColtJax 400]

Everyone that's talking about how high they picked is missing the point. The Jags pick in the top 5-10 every year, and they ALWAYS pick in the top 5-10. The Pats pick near the bottom every year, and they ALWAYS pick near the bottom. It's scouting, the Jags pick high because they pick crap on a stick. The Pats pick low because they don't. We need to scout really well, but if it was me I'd follow that model and sure up the D-line..

[Mel Kiper's Hair 2,372]

16 minutes ago, DougDew said:

No, its not part of it at all.  Not when compared to the 49ers, where Jimmy G only threw like 11 passes and didn't have to carry the roster.  That's a big part of the OPs point.

 

 

But you've also got to look at where the 49'ers have been drafting compared to the Colts. John Lynch hasn't been below the top 10 in picks yet in the 1st round. In his 3 drafts he has had the 3rd, the 9th, and the 2nd pick of the 1st round. In the same period Chris Ballard has had 1 pick in the top 10 of the first round (a pick which he absolutely nailed). Ballard has had the 15th, the 3rd (6th after Jets trade), and the 26th. And no matter what you want to say Andrew Luck retiring DOES factor in. I'm sure if he would have known that Luck was retiring he would have approached last year's draft and free agency differently. Our roster and approach to the draft and free agency was based on Andrew Luck playing QB last season.

[21isSuperman 998]

You can't even compare the two.  The stud DL the 49ers have had significant contributions from picks taken before Lynch and Shanahan even got there.  Armstead and Buckner were both drafted before the Lynch/Shanahan era, whereas Ballard inherited a roster made by a guy who drafted/traded for players like Trent Richardson and Bjorn Werner. 

 

Not only that, but the 49ers lost their starting QB last year and went 4-12 whereas the Colts lost their starting QB and went 7-9.  The major difference is that the 49ers got their expected starter back whereas the Colts are now searching for a franchise QB.

 

I understand the frustration, but the situations are totally different.  While no GM is perfect, Ballard has made some very good decisions and certainly deserves patience to continue building the roster as he and Reich want.

[aaron11 1,680]

15 minutes ago, ColtJax said:

Everyone that's talking about how high they picked is missing the point.

i think where they picked is relevant.  the dline was built on cant miss prospects like bosa and armstead

 

if you dont pick them high you get projects like turay and lewis and hope you can develop them.  these guys wont all pan out

 

the patriots do it differently than most teams, but most teams dont have a tom brady or one of the best coaches to ever 

[DougDew 2,601]

8 minutes ago, Mel Kiper's Hair said:

 

 

But you've also got to look at where the 49'ers have been drafting compared to the Colts. John Lynch hasn't been below the top 10 in picks yet in the 1st round. In his 3 drafts he has had the 3rd, the 9th, and the 2nd pick of the 1st round. In the same period Chris Ballard has had 1 pick in the top 10 of the first round (a pick which he absolutely nailed). Ballard has had the 15th, the 3rd (6th after Jets trade), and the 26th. And no matter what you want to say Andrew Luck retiring DOES factor in. I'm sure if he would have known that Luck was retiring he would have approached last year's draft and free agency differently. Our roster and approach to the draft and free agency was based on Andrew Luck playing QB last season.

What positions has Lynch drafted with those high picks?   Any Gs or one dimensional FSs? (on the heels of the Colts drafting a C)

 

That explains a lot about why we have been slow to achieve.

[aaron11 1,680]

13 minutes ago, DougDew said:

What positions has Lynch drafted with those high picks?   Any Gs or one dimensional FSs? (on the heels of the Colts drafting a C)

 

That explains a lot about why we have been slow to achieve.

hooker was drafted to play in chucks scheme to be fair. the idea was that when facing man coverage teams will take shots to try and beat the CBs and that opens the door for hooker to run in and make a play

 

when facing a cover 2 you dont take many shots to the free safety area and he doesnt have the freedom to follow the play now

[chad72 7,463]

46 minutes ago, DougDew said:

What positions has Lynch drafted with those high picks?   Any Gs or one dimensional FSs? (on the heels of the Colts drafting a C)

 

That explains a lot about why we have been slow to achieve.

 

Very short sighted, as always. Expect nothing less from you. Lynch got there in 2017, much like Ballard did in 2017.

 

Lynch:

2017 - Solomon Thomas (No.3) - hit and miss

2018 - Mike McGlinchey (No.9)

2019 - Nick Bosa (No.2)

 

Ballard:

2017 - Malik Hooker (No.15) - hit and miss

2018 - Quenton Nelson (No.6)

2019 - trade back

 

Lynch got 2 guys for his DL and 1 OT in Round 1 in his 3 years while Ballard got a FS and OG, plus traded back last year. Sitting at No.2 and No.3, his choices were Bosa and Solomon Thomas. Bosa has been a great contributor but Thomas has been far more miss than a hit. The DL picks from prior to when Lynch got there - Armstead and Buckner are now seasoned into their 4th and 5th years and it shows because the DL position, compared to the DE position, takes more time to season because you deal with more than just 1-on-1s inside. Bosa gets the 1-on-1 enough times because there is talent all along the DL that was drafted before him. That is why Freeney and Mathis got double teams because nobody inside demanded double teams in the Polian era, that is just how DL play works.

 

Lynch drafted a Notre Dame tackle, we drafted a Notre Dame guard, both have been successful. The trenches need to be fortified, Ballard always says, so the OL pick was completely justified and has helped our OL tremendously, and has been a big part of balance on our offense, little did we know our Pro Bowl QB would retire in a couple of years after Ballard got here.

 

So, objectively speaking, Lynch's pick of Solomon Thomas has not panned out but his predecessor's picks of Armstead and Buckner along with his pick of Bosa combined has panned out for the 49ers. Ballard's pick of Hooker has not panned out like it should have but the OG pick panned out real good. For what it is worth, 49ers did draft a FS named Eric Reid at No.18 in 2013, close to the No.15 where we got Hooker, and Jimmie Ward at No.30 in 2014, and Ward is still with the 49ers. They have been good but nothing spectacular.

 

In other words, it took several years of DL picks for the 49ers to reap the benefits now. The key difference is FA moves that Lynch made - Jimmy G at QB, Richard Sherman at CB, Kwon Alexander at LB, Tevin Coleman at RB, Dee Ford at DE that have put them over the hump, IMO on top of the maturing DL picks from before Lynch got there. How many first round DL picks did we get from Grigson, your favorite? 1 bust named Bjoern Werner in 4 years? I also do not know if Pagano had any saying in the drafting of Malik Hooker either, just don't know but it is reasonable to assume he was drafted with that D in mind. 

 

At some point, however, Ballard's reluctance to play free agency will catch up with him as not all holes can be filled with the draft. 49ers are like the Jaguars where the draft picks and FA moves all came together in 2017 for a great run but they had inferior coaching and inferior QB play, neither of which are problems the 49ers have, and that helps with sustained winning, and probably why the 49ers will sustain a level of excellence for more years.

[DougDew 2,601]

Just now, aaron11 said:

hooker was drafted to play in chucks scheme to be fair. the idea was that when facing man coverage teams will take shots to try and beat the CBs and that opens the door for hooker to run in and make a play

 

when facing a cover 2 you dont take many shots to the free safety area and he doesnt have the freedom to follow the play now

This isn't an attack or defense of the pick.  The reality is that when you change schemes, it sets your rebuild back on the time line.  That's basically the topic of the thread. And now we have to draft a bunch of other players around him to get that pick 15 investment we made. 

 

And what we have right now as an identity as a team is an oline that can produce rushing yards and give the QB a 5 second pocket.

 

Wanting a playmaker, outside the pocket creator, seems like another scheme fit problem that would only set the time line back another year or two.

 

Frankly, as far as QBs go, I'm hoping that pocket passers like Eason and Fromm really ball out this off season and make them worthy of a trade (up or down) into the bottom of the first round.

[DougDew 2,601]

34 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

Very short sighted, as always. Expect nothing less from you. Lynch got here in 2017, much like Ballard did in 2017.

 

Lynch:

2017 - Solomon Thomas (No.3) - hit and miss

2018 - Mike McGlinchey (No.9)

2019 - Nick Bosa (No.2)

 

Ballard:

2017 - Malik Hooker (No.15) - hit and miss

2018 - Quenton Nelson (No.6)

2019 - trade back

 

Lynch got 2 guys for his DL and 1 OT in Round 1 in his 3 years while Ballard got a FS and OG, plus traded back last year. Sitting at No.2 and No.3, his choices were Bosa and Solomon Thomas. Bosa has been a great contributor but Thomas has been far more miss than a hit. The DL picks from prior to when Lynch got there - Armstead and Buckner are now seasoned into their 4th and 5th years and it shows because the DL position, compared to the DE position, takes more time to season because you deal with more than just 1-on-1s inside. Bosa gets the 1-on-1 enough times because there is talent all along the DL that was drafted before him. That is why Freeney and Mathis got double teams because nobody inside demanded double teams in the Polian era, that is just how DL play works.

 

Lynch drafted a Notre Dame tackle, we drafted a Notre Dame guard, both have been successful. The trenches need to be fortified, Ballard always says, so the OL pick was completely justified and has helped our OL tremendously, and has been a big part of balance on our offense, little did we know our Pro Bowl QB would retire in a couple of years after Ballard got here.

 

So, objectively speaking, Lynch's pick of Solomon Thomas has not panned out but his predecessor's picks of Armstead and Buckner along with his pick of Bosa combined has panned out for the 49ers. Ballard's pick of Hooker has not panned out like it should have but the OG pick panned out real good. For what it is worth, 49ers did draft a FS named Eric Reid at No.18, close to the No.15 where we got Hooker in 2013, and Jimmie Ward at No.30 in 2014, and Ward is still with the 49ers. They have been good but nothing spectacular.

 

In other words, it took several years of DL picks for the 49ers to reap the benefits now. The key difference is FA moves that Lynch made - Jimmy G at QB, Richard Sherman at CB, Kwon Alexander at LB, Tevin Coleman at RB, Dee Ford at DE that have put them over the hump, IMO on top of the maturing DL picks from before Lynch got there. I also do not know if Pagano had any saying in the drafting of Malik Hooker either, just don't know. 

 

At some point, however, Ballard's reluctance to play free agency will catch up with him as not all holes can be filled with the draft. 49ers are like the Jaguars where the draft picks and FA moves all came together in 2017 for a great run but they had inferior coaching and inferior QB play, neither of which are problems the 49ers have, and that helps with sustained winning.

Why getting personal, did I ruin some ongoing narrative you have convinced yourself of?    I'm talking about the three year timeline, which is the topic of the thread, and I included Ballard's predecessor's choice.

 

Check the bolded above, the players you raised as being difference makers.  Did Lynch or his predecessor use significant capital to acquire a LG, FS, or C?  Even 4 or 5 years ago.  Apparently, even the guy who got fired at SF didn't make that mistake.

 

 

 

[coltsva 1,776]

A pocket passer or a make plays from outside the pocket guy. Why is it one or the other? I'm hoping Ballard is looking for a QB who can use the time Oline gives him to make plays from the pocket, but when things break down can also make plays from outside the pocket.

[chad72 7,463]

9 minutes ago, coltsva said:

A pocket passer or a make plays from outside the pocket guy. Why is it one or the other? I'm hoping Ballard is looking for a QB who can use the time Oline gives him to make plays from the pocket, but when things break down can also make plays from outside the pocket.

 

Yep. Didn't we just have one in Andrew Luck that used the time but also made plays outside the pocket when things broke down? I don't see why they have to be mutually exclusive. 

[NannyMcafee 1,694]

2 hours ago, Mitch Connors said:

 

The Luck excuse is officially over.

 

Ballard knows Luck is not part of this team.

He has a top 15 pick. 

He has cap space (in part due to Luck leaving).

 

Relevant to the topic, the 49ers knew they needed a QB so they got one via trade. If Ballard CHOOSES to ignore a QB in the draft, trade and/or free agency the results are on him and have nothing to do with Luck.

 

The luck excuse ended at the end of this year, that is true, but when evaluating this team, in it's current spot, and this past season, the Andrew excuse is as valid as any other reason. If ballard does nothing to address this, then people can start grumbling. Until then, it is a bit premature Imo. 

[jvan1973 5,492]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

That may be a fact, but that's not what gives Mahomes his identity.  We're being drawn towards wanting more of a broken play, play maker.

 

Luck was known for getting killed in the pocket, which is why Ballard drafted a G at 6 and a G/T at 35.  To "fix" the Oline and to quiet the narrative that a poor oline is what got him injured.

 

No. He drafted them because they were the best players available in his opinion.   

 

Also,  Luck ran just as much as Mahomes does. 

[Coffeedrinker 3,537]

11 hours ago, hambone35 said:

We are going into 3rd year with Reich, and Ballard together, SF has done it they wasn’t afraid to get free agents etc... So where do you believe we will be? No reason we should not be there!

You should become a 49er fan.

[Lucky Colts Fan 5,609]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

That explains a lot about why we have been slow to achieve.

 

Slow to achieve?  We just went 7-9 without our franchise QB.  The 49ers went 4-12 without their franchise QB...

 

It's entirely possible that if our DLine (Turay) stayed healthy, we might have won an extra game here or there and made the playoffs, then won the AFCCG with our QB only having to throw the ball 8 times thanks to a strong running game (#5) and defense.  We already beat KC once this year (in KC), we could have done it again.  

 

19 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Why getting personal, did I ruin some ongoing narrative you have convinced yourself of?

 

I think you're using this thread to add to your ongoing narrative you've convinced yourself of about Ballards' 1st-round picks.