Category: San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Will Garoppolo get much-needed line protection?; plus expectations of Sherman

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) runs off the field during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

Dave takes a look how crucial is it for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to get line protection and time to throw the football this season. Talk about the expectations of cornerback Richard Sherman and his coming off an Achilles injury.

Sherman, 30, at cornerback will be crucial for the 49ers in role and can he provide the same kind of performance that he had when he was in Seattle now that he’s playing in Santa Clara and help the 49ers get to the postseason.

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

49ers Legend Dwight Clark Passes Away at 61

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By: Joe Lami

49ers’ legend wide receiver Dwight Clark passed on Monday, his wife Kelly announced via Twitter.

Fighting ALS since 2015, Clark will be remembered forever for the most famous play in 49ers’ history, otherwise known as “The Catch.”

The Catch is regarded as jump-starting the Niners 80s dynasty, helping the 49ers’ string of Super Bowls. Clark was part of two of them, while also being named a two-time pro bowler.

The 49ers held Dwight Clark Day back on October 22nd of last season, where they, of course, played the Cowboys. Dwight Clark Day was celebrated by a t-shirt giveaway and a team reunion where Dwight was able to his one last goodbye to both fans and teammates.

The day was capped by a halftime celebration and a speech from Dwight that brought tears to everyone in attendance, including those of us that were in the press box at Levi’s.

Clark ranks as one of the best 49er receivers of all-time. He remains third in receiving yards, fourth in catches, and third in touchdown receptions. Dwight will forever remembered for one six-yard touchdown reception in 1982 and he was taken from us way too soon.

New rule requires NFL players to stand for National Anthem

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By Jeremy Kahn

In a unanimous vote by the 32 owners of the National Football League, there will be a different policy to the National Anthem.

Effective this season, the new policy will require players to stand if they are on the field during the playing of the National Anthem. This also will include kneeling and sitting, something many players have done since the 2016 season.

Since the 2016 season, dozens of players have protested the National Anthem due to racial inequality and police brutality around the United States.

Teams will have the option to fine any team personnel, including players if they protest the anthem.

“We want people to be respectful of the national anthem,” commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We want people to stand — that’s all personnel — and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices.”

All 32 teams approved the policy, that will become part of the NFL’s operations manual and will not be subject to collective bargaining. The National Football League Players Association will review the policy and will “challenge any aspect” that looks to be inconsistent with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling for the National Anthem during the 2016 preseason, and continued it during the entire season. The league did not have a rule for players to kneel for the National Anthem, and the league was not able to stop him.

President Donald Trump criticized Kaepernick and other players for kneeling during the National Anthem, as did fans and owners of other teams, who thought that it was disrespectful to the United States.

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, New York Jets owner Christopher Johnson and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wished to avoid having players protest against the anthem.

49ers’ 2018 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7

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By: Ana Kieu

The 2018 NFL Draft came to an end Saturday night at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The location of the 2019 NFL Draft has yet to be announced.

Here are the selections the 49ers made from Rounds 4 to 7 Saturday.

Round 4
The 49ers selected defensive end Kentavius Street with the 128th overall pick in the fourth round. The 6-foot-2, 280 lb DE posted 120 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks during his four-year career at North Carolina State. He has experience in both defensive tackle and defensive end, but he tore his ACL at a private workout during the pre-draft process, so let’s hope that he’ll have a fast and speedy recovery.

Round 5
The 49ers were back on the clock and selected defensive back D.J. Reed with the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round. The 5-foot-9, 188 lb DB initially chose to play college football at nearby Fresno State, where he reshirted as a true freshman in 2014, and transferred to Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif., where he recorded 42 tackles, three pass breakups, and two interceptions in 11 games played. He then transferred once again to Kansas State, where he played for two seasons and tallied 125 total tackles and seven interceptions. He led the Big 12 in 2016 with 19 passes defended and was subsequently named the conference’s newcomer of the year as a transfer. He was a First-Team All-Big-12 selection in 2017.

Round 6
The 49ers continued to build their defense when they selected safety Marcell Harris with the 184th overall pick in the sixth round. The 6-foot-1, 216 lb S spent three seasons at Florida, where he totaled a 102 tackles and two interceptions. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn Achilles tendon. That being said, it was pretty obvious that San Francisco targeted him for his size.

Round 7
The 49ers added another defensive piece to the puzzle as they selected defensive tackle Jullian Taylor with the 223rd overall pick in the seventh round . The 6-foot-5, 280 lb DT went to Temple, where he had just one season as a starter for the Owls. He put up 41 tackles with 11 tackles for loss in 2017. Moreover, he displayed an impressive 4.83 40-yard dash and 31 bench press reps at his Pro Day.

The 49ers capped off their draft selections by using their 240th overall pick in the seventh round on wide receiver Richie James. The 5-foot-10, 183 lb WR spent three seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where he redshirted as a true freshman in 2014. He played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015 and caught 108 passes for 1,346 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts. He once again played in all 13 games in 2016, where he caught 105 passes for 1,625 yards, tallied 12 touchdowns and rushed for 339 yards and four touchdowns on 38 attempts. He was named to the 2016 C-USA All-Conference First Team. He became the school’s career leader in receiving yards (3,261) and receiving touchdowns (23) in 2017, despite his limited playing time of five games.

Notes
Trades
The 49ers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (95th overall) from the New England Patriots in exchange for tackle Trent Brown and a 2018 fifth-round pick (143rd overall).

The 49ers acquired a 2018 second-round pick (44th overall) and a 2018 fifth-round pick (142nd overall) in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick (59th overall) and a 2018 third-round pick (74th overall).

49ers’ 2018 NFL Draft: Rounds 2 and 3

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By: Ana Kieu

The 2018 NFL Draft continued Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Rounds 2 and 3 were carried out in red carpet fashion.

Let’s take a closer look at who John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers selected in Rounds 2 and 3.

Round 2
The 49ers were on the clock. San Francisco traded up to No. 44 to select wide receiver Dante Pettis from the University of Washington. Pettis played college football for four seasons in the Emerald City, where he amassed 163 receptions for 2,256 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Pettis also set an NCAA record with nine career punt return touchdowns.

 

 

If used correctly, Pettis will be an offensive weapon for the 49ers.

Round 3
The 49ers were back on the clock. San Francisco selected Fred Warner, a linebacker who was a BYU product, with the No. 70 pick. Warner spent four seasons in Provo, Utah, where he accumulated 262 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and seven interceptions. According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Warner’s versatility is one of his best traits.

 

 

 

Warner fits the mold in the San Francisco Bay Area because he has great speed and provides great coverage.

Round 2 of this year’s draft wasn’t quite done yet, but the night was over for the 49ers, who selected defensive back Tarvarius Moore with the No. 95 pick. Moore played college football at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he played for two seasons after transferring from Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss. Moore excelled in his senior year as he became a starter and went on to lead the Lady Eagles in both tackles and interceptions.

 

 

The 49ers remain in contact with ex-safety Eric Reid and hasn’t closed the door on re-signing him yet. However, San Francisco has made the right choice in Moore as he will likely add some depth to their secondary due to his speed, size and versatility.

Notes
The 49ers traded tackle Trent Brown and their 2018 fifth-round (143rd overall) draft choice to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots’ 2018 third-round (95th overall) draft choice.

The 49ers signed safety Jaquiski Tartt to a two-year contract extension through the 2020 season.

49ers’ 2018 NFL Draft: Round 1

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By: Ana Kieu

The 2018 NFL Draft was held in the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which made the annual event the first ever in franchise history to be held in an NFL stadium and in the state of Texas.

So this year’s draft was held in the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, also known as America’s Team, and the red carpet was rolled out for the top prospects in the nation.

John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers entered the draft with a total of nine selections, but let’s just focus on Round 1 Thursday night. The 49ers selected offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey, who stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 309 lbs, with the ninth overall pick. McGlinchey’s stock has risen over the last 48 hours after he emerged as the consensus top tackle in this year’s draft class. McGlinchey played college football at Notre Dame.

With this pick, the 49ers have now acquired the obvious heir to offensive tackle Joe Staley. Staley is reportedly more eager than ever in Year 12. Not only that, Staley was named to the Pro Bowl six times in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. That being said, San Francisco completed a flawless touchdown when they drafted Staley with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft after they traded their first round with the New England Patriots.

After that, the 49ers were certainly ready to make Jet McKinnon and company, which includes McGlinchey.

NFL Network draft analyst and former New York Giants safety Mike Mayock commented on McGlinchey, saying, “He is a pile driver in the run game.”

 

49ers LB Reuben Foster not only hurts girlfriend, but also the team’s image

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By: Ana Kieu

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has been charged with three felonies, but he’s still with the team. The former 2016 Butkus Award winner was drafted 31st overall by the 49ers at the 2017 NFL Draft. He was previously a consensus High School All-American and often regarded as the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect of that class.

Those charges of domestic violence include inflicting great bodily harm, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, possession of an assault weapon, respectively. Foster appeared in court Thursday. His bail remains at $75,000. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim, which is his live-in girlfriend. Also, a plea hearing was set for April 30. If convicted, he could face more than 11 years in prison.

The allegations against Foster are horrific. Yeah, the obvious disclaimer is that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty, but there’s virtually nothing that could compel a judge to let him be a free man…unless if that judge doesn’t know what they’re doing. There should be no excuse to defend a male who has ruptured a female’s eardrum nor should there be another excuse when it comes to punching a woman in the head eight to 10 times. Even if there were such excuses for malicious behavior, the 49ers would escape from trouble, but head coach Kyle Shanahan would basically contradict what he said at his introductory press conference on February 9, 2017, at Levi’s Stadium.

I was in attendance for the conference and I can remember a part of Shanahan’s opening statement.

Shanahan said: “There’s really two things that are important to me and that’s my family and that’s football and that’s really all the things I think about. As sad as that is, it’s true. That’s all you guys will get from me. You don’t always make the right decisions, but I can promise you guys we’re going to do everything we can to do that. We’re going to hold people accountable. We’re going to do it the right way. Everybody who’s in this from the top to the bottom will be going in one direction. What does it take to win now and what does it take to consistently win over the long haul. We will be committed to that 100 percent.”

Apparently, the words “accountable” and “responsible” were just corporate buzz words used by the 49ers coaching staff. Now, I know there are other things that the team needs to work on, but repeating those words isn’t going to help anyone. It’s a shame that Foster has the world in his hands, but is seemingly throwing it all away. I hope the victim will recover and the defendant will get all 11 years of that possible sentence.

Aldon Smith can’t seem to stay out of trouble, so what’s next?

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By: Ana Kieu

Remember when linebacker Aldon Smith was drafted seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers at the 2011 NFL Draft?

In his college years at the University of Missouri, he was considered to be just a three-star recruit, but was somehow considered to be the fifth overall prospect in the state of Missouri. In his freshman year in 2009, he started 11 of 13 games, finishing the season with 60 tackles and 11 sacks. In his sophomore year in 2010, he played in nine games, recording 48 tackles and six sacks. He forwent his final two years of college eligibility.

In 2011, Smith made his NFL debut in the 49ers’ game against the Seahawks. Despite not starting a single season his rookie year, he was only a half sack shy of tying the all-time rookie sack record held by defensive end Jevon Kearse. The Pro Football Writers of America named him Defensive Rookie of the Year. As for the Associated Press‘ NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, he finished in second place, trailing just linebacker Von Miller.

It wasn’t until 2012 that Smith became a full-time starter. In Super Bowl XLVIII. he had two combined tackles as the 49ers lost to the Ravens 34-31 on February 3, 2013.

Things took a turn for the worse after Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith got involved in a single vehicle accident in San Jose, California, and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. As a result, he voluntarily entered a rehab facility, which caused him to miss five NFL games. Despite his early public struggles, he finished the 2013 season with 34 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He was also ranked No. 33 in the NFL Top 100 Years of 2014.

The following year, Smith was reinstated in Week 11 after serving a nine-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies, but the 49ers released him following his third DUI arrest.

After that, Smith signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on September 11, 2015. He finished his first season with the Raiders with 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks in nine games and seven starts.

In 2016, Smith re-signed with the Raiders and later applied for reinstatement, but no reinstatement occurred, so he sat out during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively. Following a domestic violence incident, Oakland released him on March 5, 2018, and that domestic violence incident was the first of three arrests for Smith in the past two months alone.

Smith violated a court order on March 23, 2018. He was ordered to stay away from a woman (who was later revealed to be his fiancee) he assaulted earlier that month.

Smith was also arrested on April 8, 2018. He reportedly violated the terms of a protective order from his previous domestic violence arrest. He was held on $500,000 bail.

The question isn’t “who can bond Smith out of jail?” It’s “can Smith stay out of trouble?” The 28-year-old has time to turn things around for the better, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon. His fiancee–who has only know him for three months–is reportedly going to leave him and keep the ring that he gave her.

A short (or long) jail stint is going to protect the people, but it’s likely not going to save Smith. He has to want to stay out of trouble in order to try to make a comeback in the NFL.

If Jon Gruden is “surprised” that Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned, then he should sign him

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

Speaking from the coaches breakfast at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden offered his thoughts on why Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned.

“I think there’s a lot of intrigue,” Gruden said via ESPN staff writer Paul Gutierrez. “His performance on the field wasn’t very good, on tape. I think, Robert Griffin, a rookie of the year, [I’m surprised] he’s out there. Tim Tebow takes a team to the playoffs, there’s some surprise that he never came back. You know, Johnny Manziel, he’s out there.

“Back to Kapernick, he got beat out by [Blaine] Gabbert to start the [2016] season. I think that say’s something. [But] I am surprised he’s not in camp with somebody. He probably will be soon.”

Memo to Gruden: No one, not even you, should be ‘surprised’ that Kaepernick remains unsigned by an NFL team.

Not due to the fact that he knelt during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality, but he’s got a pending lawsuit against league owners for collusion, which was filed last October by Kaepernick.

But if Gruden is truly that ‘surprised’ that Kaepernick isn’t on an NFL roster, my only question to him is: why haven’t the Raiders signed him?

It’s a good idea, right?

No one is saying that Kaepernick would overthrow Derek Carr as Oakland’s signal-caller in 2018, but Kaepernick is much better than E.J. Manuel and Josh Johnson combined.

Both Manuel and Johnson are on the Raiders roster.

Since being drafted by the 49ers in 2011 out of Nevada in the second round of the NFL draft, Kaepernick has thrown for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions while completing 59.8-percent of his passes in 58 career starts.

Manuel does have a career completion percentage of 58.1 to go along with 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 starts (which includes one start for Oakland last season), while Johnson is 0-5 in his  five career starts.

But Kaepernick would provide better insurance for Gruden and the Raiders in the event that Carr was injured than either Manuel or Johnson in my opinion. I know I’m not the only one that feels that way too.

It wasn’t too long ago that Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback in Super Bowl XLVII, was making defenses look foolish trying to tackle him in the open field with the dreaded read-option. In 2016, Kaepernick’s last season in the league, he was recovering from three surgeries when Gabbert beat him out for the starting the job.

But once he proved to be healthy, Kaepernick replaced Gabbert as San Francisco’s starting quarterback and posted a 92.6 passer rating in his final six starts of the season. Kaepernick threw for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions with a 90.7 passer rating, but the 49ers were just 1-10 in his 11 starts as the team dealt with injuries and inconsistency along the offensive line.

San Francisco finished 2-14 that year.

After sitting out all of 2017, does Kaepernick even want to play football or continue to bring awareness to social injustice and police brutality in 2018? Kaepernick has already gone on record saying that he wouldn’t kneel during the national anthem if signed by an NFL team.

There was the internet video recently of Kaepernick working out in Houston throwing the football appearing to be in tremendous condition. Maybe there’s a chance that Kaepernick does play again in the NFL after.

But could it be in Silver and Black?

Gruden and the Raiders should give the idea some serious consideration.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who won Super Bowl LII, showed how important having a capable backup quarterback like Nick Foles on the roster was after losing franchise quarterback Carson Wentz late in the year with a torn ACL.

It’s good to have an insurance policy in case of emergencies, Oakland.

MLB Podcast with Daniel Dullum: It’s decision time for SF Giants’ 40-man roster; Cotton out for season with Tommy John for A’s; Will new rule changes work for MLB?

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On the MLB Podcast with Daniel Dullum:

1 Giants: Decision time for three players on 40-man roster that are out of options.

2 A’s: Jharel Cotton is having Tommy John surgery and will be out for the season. He was originally diagnosed with a sprained elbow.

3 Will the new MLB rules actually work?

4 Should Angels’ phenom Shohei Ohtani start the season in the minors?

#5 Former Kansas City Athletic and New York Met Ed Charles 84 a tribute to Charles who passed away earlier this week

Daniel Dullum does the MLB podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com