2020 Offseason

[Samurai]

The only problem is that Compton has been worse than Person.

My guess is that Compton would play the role that Brunskill played last season as the jack-of-all trades position. He has played RT, RG, and LG in his pro career. Based on performance, I would guess that Brunskill has the inside track as the starting RG although I'm sure Shanahan will say that there will be a competition for it and the best player in training camp will win it. But in light of giving Garland a new deal of $2.25M (that's a $1.45M raise!), giving $3M to a utility back-up seems like a lot; wouldn't a 6th round pick be able to fill that role for a lot less? I trust Marathe with his ability to play with numbers, but I'd be disappointed if we couldn't re-sign Sanders because we used too much of that money on Compton.

[Ray_Dogg]

He is not necessarily getting $3M. There could be unlikely to obtain bonuses as part of that figure. Let’s see the contract details first.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

JERICK MCKINNON
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

NBC Sports Bay Area reports Jerick McKinnon has agreed to a restructured contract to remain with the 49ers.
SOURCE: NBC Sports Bay Area

Mar 17, 2020, 2:44 PM ET

JERICK MCKINNON
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Jerick McKinnon's restructured contract includes a $910,000 base salary.

McKinnon can earn another $250,000 through per-game roster bonuses. It's a steep, steep cut, but it was McKinnon's only real option after two injury-ruined years in the Bay Area. With Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman both returning, McKinnon's potential role is highly uncertain. All three backs are capable of catching passes.
SOURCE: Nick Wagoner on Twitter

Mar 19, 2020, 6:22 PM ET

[CrimsonCrew]

Good point made by one of the guys from Better Rivals: there are 25 RBs making $3 million or more. FIVE of them are on the Niners' roster. That's absurd, especially given what we've seen completely unheralded guys do in this system. I get the McKinnon "restructure." You were going to be on the hook for $4 million-ish anyway for cutting him, so let's see if he still has something to offer on a deal that is virtually no risk. I never liked the Coleman contract - and am still hoping he gets cut. And tendering Breida at the second-round level is a real head-scratcher. I'm not confident he generates much interest at all if we either tender him at he lowest RFA level, or just let him go and try to re-sign him for less than that. And again, I say that as one of Breida's biggest fans.

[Bald Bull]

Sanders going to the Saints.
https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/135571-former-49ers-emmanuel-sanders-intends-sign-saints-report/

[Bald Bull]

Read on Twitter

[RIPskaterdude]

Damn. He got paid though, no way we were going to match that

[Dodub]

I’m not at all sad that Sanders is gone, I was hoping to upgrade that position. Sanders came in and provided some true veteran leadership to that group, he was a role model to the young players and they learned a lot from him. I won’t pretend that he was a world beater though. I would like to add a world beater.

[Samurai]

Read on Twitter

Glad he got the payday that was likely beyond what we could pay, but I was really hoping we could bring him back. He provided the upgrade at WR that we just weren't getting from the likes of Goodwin and Pettis. He was our only deep threat, was incredibly sure-handed, and he was a willing blocker in the run game. I guess this makes it more likely that we keep the #13 pick and use it on a WR since we aren't going to be able to replace Sanders, let alone upgrade the position, with the free agents in our pay range that are out there. I will miss Sanders but I'm sure I can learn to move on if Jeudy falls to #13......

[Jikkle]

Losing Sanders to bolster what will likely be a playoff team is what hurts most.

I would've liked to have him but ultimately he was a short term solution and I'd rather address the position in the draft with someone that's younger and cheaper and could potentially be an even bigger upgrade.

[Samurai]

If we keep the #13 pick, we need to find someone who can be a game-changer. Under that scenario, Shanahan/Lynch need to identify those that they feel are true game-changers. For example, everyone agrees Okudah is a game-changer but likely to be taken in the top 5. So assuming he is long gone at #13, don't "settle" for someone (i.e. Henderson) that you aren't convinced is a game-changer. Jeudy seems like a game-changer but he may not be there at #13. Wirfs may be a game-changer who may or may not be available then. Bottom line is if the true game-changers aren't there, don't "settle" on best available with #13; I'd rather trade down and get more day 2 picks. Need to avoid drafting another Soloman Thomas higher than needed.

[CrimsonCrew]

If we keep the #13 pick, we need to find someone who can be a game-changer. Under that scenario, Shanahan/Lynch need to identify those that they feel are true game-changers. For example, everyone agrees Okudah is a game-changer but likely to be taken in the top 5. So assuming he is long gone at #13, don't "settle" for someone (i.e. Henderson) that you aren't convinced is a game-changer. Jeudy seems like a game-changer but he may not be there at #13. Wirfs may be a game-changer who may or may not be available then. Bottom line is if the true game-changers aren't there, don't "settle" on best available with #13; I'd rather trade down and get more day 2 picks. Need to avoid drafting another Soloman Thomas higher than needed.

The drawback of an OT that high is that the guy may not even play as a rookie, or might play our of position at an interior spot. But considering positional scarcity, it would be very hard to pass on a really good OT there. We hopefully aren't going to be in position to draft that high again in the near future, and it's much easier to find a very good WR on day two or three than to find a franchise LT.

[Samurai]

If we keep the #13 pick, we need to find someone who can be a game-changer. Under that scenario, Shanahan/Lynch need to identify those that they feel are true game-changers. For example, everyone agrees Okudah is a game-changer but likely to be taken in the top 5. So assuming he is long gone at #13, don't "settle" for someone (i.e. Henderson) that you aren't convinced is a game-changer. Jeudy seems like a game-changer but he may not be there at #13. Wirfs may be a game-changer who may or may not be available then. Bottom line is if the true game-changers aren't there, don't "settle" on best available with #13; I'd rather trade down and get more day 2 picks. Need to avoid drafting another Soloman Thomas higher than needed.

The drawback of an OT that high is that the guy may not even play as a rookie, or might play our of position at an interior spot. But considering positional scarcity, it would be very hard to pass on a really good OT there. We hopefully aren't going to be in position to draft that high again in the near future, and it's much easier to find a very good WR on day two or three than to find a franchise LT.

True, the real value of drafting an OT such as Wirfs is that he provides an insurance policy for Staley's retirement. But I will admit it is hard to pass on the sexiness of a WR at 13 over a T. If Jeudy falls to 13, I would grab him. If not, we could grab a guy like Mims if we acquired some Day 2 picks. But it is sounding like we didn't even make a contract offer to Sanders, so if the plan all along was to let him go, then I have to believe that Shanahan may have been planning to grab a WR at #13 as soon as Buckner was traded.

[Yoshi]

Being a Bama guy, I would love to have Jeudy on this team, but something makes me wonder about Cee Dee Lamb, who I believe might be the best WR in this class. Still, I wouldn't be sad if we wound up with Henry Ruggs.

[Samurai]

Being a Bama guy, I would love to have Jeudy on this team, but something makes me wonder about Cee Dee Lamb, who I believe might be the best WR in this class. Still, I wouldn't be sad if we wound up with Henry Ruggs.

My question about Lamb is that scouting reports are similar to Deebo - strong physical receiver, great at YAC, good blocker. Like Deebo, he certainly isn't slow but neither has the elite speed to be a true downfield threat. Both have great ball skills but neither are considered outstanding route runners. In terms of diversity, Jeudy or Ruggs provide a clearly different type of receiver to complement Deebo. Jeudy is an outstanding route runner with enough speed to stretch the defense and Ruggs has that Tyreke-level of game changing speed.

[Bald Bull]

Being a Bama guy, I would love to have Jeudy on this team, but something makes me wonder about Cee Dee Lamb, who I believe might be the best WR in this class. Still, I wouldn't be sad if we wound up with Henry Ruggs.

My question about Lamb is that scouting reports are similar to Deebo - strong physical receiver, great at YAC, good blocker. Like Deebo, he certainly isn't slow but neither has the elite speed to be a true downfield threat. Both have great ball skills but neither are considered outstanding route runners. In terms of diversity, Jeudy or Ruggs provide a clearly different type of receiver to complement Deebo. Jeudy is an outstanding route runner with enough speed to stretch the defense and Ruggs has that Tyreke-level of game changing speed.

Exactly what I've been thinking. I like Lamb but Jeudy and Rugg seem like the best complimentary players. And their strengths of route running and speed to stretch the field are what kyle seems to value the most. I think Juedy would be #1, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if kyle has Ruggs ranked higher than Lamb.

[Ray_Dogg]

Being a Bama guy, I would love to have Jeudy on this team, but something makes me wonder about Cee Dee Lamb, who I believe might be the best WR in this class. Still, I wouldn't be sad if we wound up with Henry Ruggs.

I’m good with any of the three. All ballers. I wish Chase was in the draft. That dude is amazing.

[CrimsonCrew]

If Ruggs is the pick, I think they should try to trade down a bit. Not enough college production to warrant a high pick in such a deep WR draft. But I still lean strongly OT. The difference between a Ruggs and a Mimms or Raegor is less than between a Wirfs and a...well, whoever would be there at 31. Not sure who that is at this point.

[Bald Bull]

If Ruggs is the pick, I think they should try to trade down a bit. Not enough college production to warrant a high pick in such a deep WR draft. But I still lean strongly OT. The difference between a Ruggs and a Mimms or Raegor is less than between a Wirfs and a...well, whoever would be there at 31. Not sure who that is at this point.

We might be able to trade down a few spots and still get Ruggs, but don't set yourself up for disappointment in thinking that we will. If shanahan has proven anything, it's that he gets his guy, even if he has to get them early.

The more i watch of Ruggs, the more convinced I become that he's the exact type of receiver Kyle would fall in love with. He could do so much in this offense, and with his ability to take off the top, he opens up the entire passing offense.

I pretty much agree with every point made here.
https://www.fourthandnine.com/post/desimone-why-henry-ruggs-may-be-the-wr-the-49ers-are-after

and he produced more than DK metcalf, who just about everyone wanted high last year

[Samurai]

If Ruggs is the pick, I think they should try to trade down a bit. Not enough college production to warrant a high pick in such a deep WR draft. But I still lean strongly OT. The difference between a Ruggs and a Mimms or Raegor is less than between a Wirfs and a...well, whoever would be there at 31. Not sure who that is at this point.

We might be able to trade down a few spots and still get Ruggs, but don't set yourself up for disappointment in thinking that we will. If shanahan has proven anything, it's that he gets his guy, even if he has to get them early.

The more i watch of Ruggs, the more convinced I become that he's the exact type of receiver Kyle would fall in love with. He could do so much in this offense, and with his ability to take off the top, he opens up the entire passing offense.

I pretty much agree with every point made here.
https://www.fourthandnine.com/post/desimone-why-henry-ruggs-may-be-the-wr-the-49ers-are-after

and he produced more than DK metcalf, who just about everyone wanted high last year

Ruggs is a much more polished receiver than he is typically given credit for. Because of his speed, some people tend to think he's just a guy that can only run deep fly patterns but his bread-and-butter is actually the underneath stuff and crossing patterns that are a staple of the Shanahan offense. And Jimmy G excels at throwing those short to intermediate crossing patterns. Ruggs also has some fight in him and doesn't just fall down as soon as someone touches him. And the other thing that tends to go unnoticed is his blocking. No, he's not George Kittle but for a smallish WR, he is willing to stick his nose in there against DB's on running plays; that willingness to block from a WR is an important factor in our running plays. Sanders, Deebo and Bourne were all willing blockers.

Tyreke Hill has that rare ability to scare a defense from anywhere on the field, including running the ball on jet sweeps or screens. I can imagine Kyle was just salivating at the thought of what he could come up with if he had Tyreke on his side; drafting Ruggs will give him that chance to really open up the playbook. Deebo, Kittle and Ruggs could provide Jimmy with the weapons to be even more successful. Kittle and Deebo could really benefit by operating underneath while Ruggs draws the safety away by stretching the field. Jimmy's yardage numbers could look very impressive if he tosses some 8-yard passes that go down as an 80 yard touchdown!