How good do you think the team would be under Rivera with a better GM?

[Ship]

Didn't we just have one of our 'all time best' drafts this last year? We're suffering a talent hangover from poor recent drafts and lack of high round picks. We've got some rookies this year who have the potential to turn into studs in their careers here. I think the 2011 draft wasn't that great aside from Cam, but thats probably a product of no 2nd round pick, and a ton of attention allocated to the #1. If Keek wasn't there this year we would've gone Coples, imagine if we took one of the D-Line guys in round 2 and kept Wharton, or if Pollak was the starter immediately. Where would we be on the O-Line now? How great would Vinny Curry or that Mich. State DT be? Its like our real top pick in the 2012 draft was Barron though. I bet we take a long look at the top safeties next year too. Look at the difference between Dwan and Haruki. Its easier to fill in a solid dude up front than in the back. We're worse off in the back of our D than the front. Hurney and Ron are a good team, I think they evaluate talent (especially small schools) well together and I expect our drafts to be much more solid all the way through like this year, because of the values Ron prizes in his players (love for the game being #1). Believe in Keek, Frank, and Norman. Especially Frank and Norman have played beyond their draft pick values.

[tarheelpride]

I'd like it if we had Hurney to just purely manipulate the cap and had someone else brought in for personnel decisions, someone who has an eye for talent and is in no way attached to the team or current group of players.

[Jim Harbaugh]

With a better GM, I'd be the HC.

[Argus Plexus]

We all love DeAngelo, but his re-signing was a major impulse buy on the part of Hurney. That cash should be going to a starting safety or corner. It is clear that, when he wants to, Hurney is capable of very good moves. The Murphy trade, for example. Got a good player in exchange for a pick that would just have been a practice squad player anyways. We dropped a choke artist for a young kicker who is very good and might keep us set at the position for many years to come. So clearly he is capable of making good moves when he wants to, but for some reason he does crazy things that no other GM would think of doing (AE, Jake re-signing). GM is clearly a big reason why success seems to flee from us.

But all blame is not laid on the GM. I respect RR's philosophy that screaming at people is going to do no good, and that keeping a cool head is better. However it does no good to stand there like a rock while your team crumbles. Keep that same cool head but get down where the players are and COACH. Isn't that what you're paid to do? Chud has stuck with the read-option because he figures, as anyone would, if it worked before why not stick with it? But it seems that DC's have rooted the option out. The gimmick has been blown wide open and it doesn't seem to be working as a base set. I have a question. Has Chud ever heard of an I-Formation? It's a nifty little play where our exceptional RB's line up behind our exceptional FB and run the football up the gut. The FB (Sometimes led by a pulling guard) blocks a LB and busts open a hole for our RB's to run through. Everyone uses it and it works exceptionally well when used properly. With Chud's offensive genius, he should be able to make up many creative permutations of the tried and true I-Formation. And how about McDermott? This guy is unbelievable. I don't see him much on TV, so I don't know if he's a statue like RR. Either way, whatever he's doing isn't working. Sure, outside of the LB Corps we're lacking in the talent department somewhat. However, that is no excuse. These RB's are running right past defenders like they're nothing, gashing for 20 yards or more per play. These WR's are just sitting down in the zone (usually in the middle of four defenders) and catching bombs all day long. It is pathetic and painful to watch. How about Man coverage once in a while? You have a star CB in Chris Gamble, and he can man up with anyone in the league and do well. Norman is a rookie and has things he needs to work through but he has the physical abilities to become a good CB. Your LB's are some of the best cover LB's in the league right now. Man coverage, learn it. Use it.

The biggest problem with this entire team is fundamentals and effort. It seems to me that the only people on this team who know how to tackle are the LB's. Outside of them, shedding a panther defender is like shaking off a blanket. This coaching staff needs to teach these guys how to tackle BADLY (although you would think, being professional football players, that they would already know how to do this -_-). Also, it seems like the team isn't putting forth maximum effort on every play. The Lines are getting rolled over. Our guys are falling off tackles like a child trying to tackle a grown man. It's really a lack across the board with only a few exceptions. These problems have been ailing this team since before the RR Era.

Our achilles heel this season has been the Lines. Offensive line has been getting manhandled completely and utterly. Even Kalil has been getting mauled. It's painful to watch. The D-Line, though they have shown flashes of greatness, is still on the bad side of mediocre. They still have yet to remove their roller skates and it seems like they don't have a clue what the words "Stay in your gaps" mean.

[TheRed]

Cyber was making a case that we have plenty of talent on O, and called Cam a "franchise QB".

I was simply saying that while he our franchise, he has not progressed to the point of being able to completely dismantle a D yet the way that Brees, Brady, Manning can on a consistent basis.

In no way shape or form do I want him benched for any reason. You let QB's play out of their funk. IMO.

I dont think he is in a "funk". He put the team on his back against the Saints, and Chud finally started calling some plays that made sense and we won. The whole team struggled against NY, including coaches.

[Cyberjag]

I know this is crazy talk, but I can't help but feel that a coach like Harbaugh or Payton would have us talking about something other than whether we have enough talent to win. But hey, until we have amazing talent at every position I guess we will never know. :)

[frash.exe]

Did San Francisco suddenly get good because of Harbaugh or Baalke? Frankly, Harbaugh had pretty much the same personnel that Singletary did the year before, but the two squads played like completely different teams.

Good coaching will cover for a poor GM, but if the coach sucks then I don't think an all-pro team would be able to win consistently in this league.

They've signed at least 4 of their starters from other teams in the last two years. It will be at least 5 once Haggans finishes his suspension. And these are good free agents, not Haruki Nakamura free agents.

[frash.exe]

Also forgot to mention they picked up David Akers last year too, the guy who kicked a 63 yard field goal two weeks ago. His contract was worth 9 million. We signed Olindo Mare last year for 12 million...

[X-Clown]

They've signed at least 4 of their starters from other teams in the last two years. It will be at least 5 once Haggans finishes his suspension. And these are good free agents, not Haruki Nakamura free agents.

They also fleeced some dumbass team for a 2nd round pick and turned it into a first rounder to draft one of the best young guards in the league.

[frash.exe]

They also fleeced some dumbass team for a 2nd round pick and turned it into a first rounder to draft one of the best young guards in the league.

Hey let's not get crazy here that Everette Brown guy has really been making strides

[cammycamjooce]

Hurney is one of the best GMs in the NFL he brings us really good talent too bad our coaches can't do anything with it.

[KDawg004]

I really hope we restructure some contracts (DWill, Gross, Gamble, etc.) and finally bring in some FA's worth a damn. This team is knocking on the door and they're ignoring it with the whole youth movement build through the draft crap.

[Cyberjag]

They've signed at least 4 of their starters from other teams in the last two years. It will be at least 5 once Haggans finishes his suspension. And these are good free agents, not Haruki Nakamura free agents.

Actually, that's a really good point. They had four major signings in 2011, aside from Akers. They got Braylon Edwards, who went nowhere, and Johnathan Goodwin, a center who kicked around the league for six years before catching fire in New Orleans. Surround him with pro-bowl guards and he's pretty good, but he hasn't turned the world on fire in San Francisco.

But they also got Carlos Rodgers and Donte Whitner. Rodgers was a major disappointment in Washington, and Whitner couldn't cover worth a damn in Buffalo. And then they both went to San Franscisco and kicked ass. Do you think their 2011 performance was more due to being signed by Baalke or to being coached by Harbaugh?

[iamhubby1]

Let's see. Whos is still on the team after Rivera has arrived. CJ, Beast, TD, and Anderson, Gamble and Godfrey. And I guess Munny as well. That is seven from a D that was rather good. The difference being, D-line. Is that Hurney's fault? In most ways, you have to say yes. It is the GMs job to build the team. Whether that is to the coaches liking, which would seem to be the case most often, or not, in the case of the Lions under Millen.

I have always defended Hurney. For the most part he has kept the culture intact. Draft and keep your own is a JR mantra. If you do it right. It is a wonderful way to run your organization. Hurney on the other hand. Has made some decisions that seem to counter that way of thinking.

My train of thought is going in the dirction that Rivera is in the final year of evaluation. He knows what he has. So he now knows exactly what he needs to do to finish the job. Which is why I am thinking we will not only use the draft next year, but will be making our first real jump into the FA pool under Rivera.

I can see one, maybe two, bigish name FAs be brought in to finish off the roster to Rivera's liking. And by the look of it so far this year. The D-line may be one of those areas.

Just a thought or two...