2022 Offseason thread

[CrimsonCrew]

Deebo is a challenge in my view. He's super talented, love his attitude, and he's a totally unique player. But he plays the game so physically, and he's got a pretty lengthy injury history. I'd be pretty reluctant to give him more than three more years at this point. That said, with all the new contracts, we should be able to find a way to slot him in. Not going to read too much into this at this point. This seems to be the new negotiating tactic. But it seems pretty petty.

Maybe that's a sign I've gotten old....

[Jikkle]

When Kittle was up for his contract negotiations weren't exactly smooth sailing but it still got done so too early to really react to what Deebo is doing especially since scrubbing social media is just part of how players negotiate these days.

Deebo has the same problem as Kittle in that you love them on the field but they just always seem to be banged up and hurt for chunks of the season. So while I still want to see a deal get done I wouldn't hate it if they got a good haul for him either.

I mean if the Jets offered the 4th overall pick for him I'd have a tough time turning that down. You could add another pass rusher with that pick or trade it down and get even more picks and you'd have that chunk of money that you'd pay Deebo freed up for other things.

[thesack12]

Deebo's contract situation is really going to be a fascinating one. Unfortunately, I can envision a scenario where it turns into a bloody battle between him and the organization.

Deebo is unequivocally the centerpiece of the offense, and is absolutely vital to the team's aspirations. That said, what do you pay him as? He's not a pure receiver, and he's obviously not a Running back.

I'm not going to question his talent and skills as a receiver, but he also not one of those guys that consistently wins his individual matchups. By that I mean, he doesn't create a lot of separation on his own. When he gets open, more often than not its a result of scheme whether it be via misdirection/pre-snap motion/defense's biting on play action/etc. In the passing game, Deebo thrives in the quick slant game. He's a YAC monster, but he's not going to run a ton of routes downfield. He's also never really been much of a redzone threat. A decent amount of his touches need to be manufactured. So his overall ceiling as a WR is limited.

All that said, Deebo can definitely be a legitimate game changer any time he touches the ball. Although, he's not super fast he's still truly electric with the ball in his hands and can score on any play from anywhere on the field. This is where his true value and worth lie.

As pure WR's, Deebo obviously isn't on the same level as Davante Adams and Tyreke Hill who go broken off this year. However, measuring overall impact of the game Deebo is right there with those 2 guys. IMO, Deebo is clearly a better player than both Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen. However, being a better WR than those 2 is a different discussion. There is no question Deebo is better than Christian Kirk and Kenny Golladay.

Then we have to talk about the issue of health. Deebo doesn't exactly have a sparkling track record in that department. Its not just the missed games, but he's perpetually dinged up. Seemingly every game, Samuel limps or walks off the field slowly and has to miss a handful of plays. Frequently this happens a couple times per game.

Deebo's game and style are heavily predicated on physicality. That style doesn't provide the best outlook for future health. Kyle's infatuation of using Deebo heavily in the run game also doesn't paint a great picture for keeping him healthy. This is especially true when Kyle insists on running Deebo up the middle, and as a pseudo short yardage back.

Basically you love Deebo's talent/impact/and his versatility. But his type of versatility does not equate to durability. When you question a guy's durability, it has to give you some hesitation to hand him a monster contract.

So to summarize I imagine Deebo is going to build his contractual case based on his versatility/impact/and being the offensive centerpiece, but the team will counter by building their case on health concerns/durability and positional value. Obviously, I hope I'm wrong but I can see negotiations turning ugly.

Jikkle mentioned possibly trading Deebo, and if both sides dig in and it does turn ugly I think you have to seriously consider it. Specifically if the Jets offered #4, while I don't really love anybody that could be had there I think you would have to take that trade if it becomes clear there won't be an extension. I'd immediately look to trade back from 4 and accumulate more picks, but I'm not sure there will be much of a market for team looking to trade up into the top 5 this year. I could be wrong, as since the 9ers don't have a 1st this year I haven't done a ton of scouting/research into this year's draft. But it does seem like, there isn't a ton of value/buzz at the top of this year's draft. If that hypothetical Deebo for #4 did actually happen, and the 9ers couldn't trade back, I would likely lean towards going with one of the O-lineman.

Anyways, this is going to a fascinating situation to watch. #getyopopcornready

[CrimsonCrew]

Niners signing or have signed Kemoko Turay to a one-year deal. Not splashy, but I like the move. Turay is a guy who has physical tools, but needs a little more refinement and has struggled to stay healthy. He's just the sort of player that Kocurek has gotten a lot out of in the past, and well worth what I'm assuming is a fairly reasonable contract to find out. He'll be in the mix to replace Arden Key.

[Samurai]

Turay sounds like a guy who has played very well....when he plays. Which is the kicker - he is really only effective on passing downs and is often injured. Without any significant changes to our medical/training staff, I don't have as much confidence that our staff can keep guys healthy as well as we did during the Harbaugh era.

[CrimsonCrew]

Been meaning to address Deebo for a while, but I've been super busy. Briefly (I hope), Deebo is an amazing player who really only has concerns revolving around his health, but given his style of play, those are major concerns. It seems like he's always one hit away from missing a lot of time.

There is some talk - a little on here, but more so in the media - about him almost being a gadget player and not a complete WR. And sure, he's not Adams or Hill at this point, but I think that view reflects pretty short memories.

Deebo was tearing it up primarily as a receiver over the first half of the year. He was either first or second on the league in receiving yards well into the season, and had 979 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs through the first nine weeks. Through the first seven weeks, he was averaging 117 receiving yards a game. And yes, some of that was the result of busted coverages, but he was making a lot of legit plays as a WR. Meanwhile, he had only six carries going into week nine (he had five in that game).

It was only later in the year, when we needed help at RB and Aiyuk was being used more, that Deebo stopped seeing that sort of volume in the passing game. From week 10 on, he had six or fewer targets in all but one game, but his carries increased dramatically. I am all about Deebo's versatility, but my hope is that we are able to go back more to what we saw early in the year, though with a few more carries - like maybe three a game, and most of those on the outside.

It sounds like he's not asking to get more than Adams and Hill, so I'd think something will be worked out, but we';ll see.

[Jikkle]

Been meaning to address Deebo for a while, but I've been super busy. Briefly (I hope), Deebo is an amazing player who really only has concerns revolving around his health, but given his style of play, those are major concerns. It seems like he's always one hit away from missing a lot of time.

There is some talk - a little on here, but more so in the media - about him almost being a gadget player and not a complete WR. And sure, he's not Adams or Hill at this point, but I think that view reflects pretty short memories.

Deebo was tearing it up primarily as a receiver over the first half of the year. He was either first or second on the league in receiving yards well into the season, and had 979 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs through the first nine weeks. Through the first seven weeks, he was averaging 117 receiving yards a game. And yes, some of that was the result of busted coverages, but he was making a lot of legit plays as a WR. Meanwhile, he had only six carries going into week nine (he had five in that game).

It was only later in the year, when we needed help at RB and Aiyuk was being used more, that Deebo stopped seeing that sort of volume in the passing game. From week 10 on, he had six or fewer targets in all but one game, but his carries increased dramatically. I am all about Deebo's versatility, but my hope is that we are able to go back more to what we saw early in the year, though with a few more carries - like maybe three a game, and most of those on the outside.

It sounds like he's not asking to get more than Adams and Hill, so I'd think something will be worked out, but we';ll see.

The gadget player talk is ridiculous but he is unique and like I said in the Brown vs Deebo thread a while back that Deebo fits what Shanahan wants perfectly whereas Brown and other guys are better pure conventional WRs.

System fit I feel gets sorta overlooked in these discussions when it's actually pretty important. Like Tyreek Hill would've been a worse option than Deebo in the offense with Jimmy G at the helm but Deebo would've been worse than Hill if he was on the Chiefs with Mahomes throwing the ball.

I tend to think a deal gets done eventually and I agree with Kawakami in that if Deebo doesn't get traded before the draft it's more than likely the 9ers will resign him. Adams and Hill got traded because the Pack and Chiefs knew they didn't have a chance to resign them and the 9ers themselves traded Buckner when they knew they weren't going to meet his price.

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[arich35]

Bummed that we won't have Deebo anymore. But if he can net us a 1st round and another high draft pick I think it might be worth it instead of paying him 25M+
I just don't think he would be as successful in a different offense

[Samurai]

I think Deebo can be successful in a variety of offenses, just maybe not quite as much as in Shanahan's offense. Definitely would love to have him back, but given how much we use him as a running back and looking at the all-too-short careers of most RB's, I could certainly envision Deebo being rendered ineffective via injury in our system. But losing him leaves gaping holes in both our running and passing game.

[thesack12]

Well, as I mentioned in my previous post I envisioned the relationship between Deebo and the 49ers could turn ugly. Unfortunately it appears that vision has come to fruition.

I didn't expect it to escalate this quickly though. It looks like Deebo is on the outs, which is obviously a huge blow. Dude is the centerpiece of the offense.

They obviously need to get a huge haul in trade for him. But there might not be a ton of suitors out there, especially this late in the offseason. Packers immediately come to mind, but its not really their M.O. to trade away a lot of draft capital. And its entirely against their nature to hand out huge contracts. Chiefs need a playmaker at WR, but they shipped out Hill because they didn't want to pay him. So its incredibly unlikely they make a play for Deebo.

Off the top of my head, Jets are the most likely suitor. They are desperate for a playmaker and to get help for Wilson, and there are some familiar faces in their coaching staff over there. I very much doubt, #4 overall is in play though.

Man, this offseason has been highly discouraging. Garoppolo trade didn't materialize, already suspect O-line got worse, and now its looking like we are going to lose arguably the team's best player. On top of all that, 9ers don't even have a 1st round pick.

[wco81]

Still believe in Shanahan and Lynch?

[CrimsonCrew]

Still believe in Shanahan and Lynch?

I wouldn't say that this in particular shakes my confidence in them. Especially at this point. Let's see how it all shakes out.

I have some pretty significant concerns about extending Deebo. He's a great player, but he's had one good (admittedly it was amazing) season, and the other two have been seriously marred by injury. Even if we use him sparingly out of the backfield going forward, his longterm prospects aren't great. If we could get a blockbuster trade for him, I would seriously consider it. Though this is a **** draft, so the odds of replacing him with a single player are obviously pretty limited.

I've been pretty vocal in my criticism of the FO, particularly around the draft and big FA moves, but it was an impressive feat to get this team within a few minutes of going to the SB this past year. Garoppolo played poorly through the playoffs, and sure, we got pretty lucky in GB, but we were right there with the Rams to the end, and if Tartt holds onto that gimme pick, we probably win that game. So yeah, when viewed from that lens, I'm pretty happy with the job those guys have done, even if they've had their fair share of huge misses.

[thesack12]

Reports starting to come out that Deebo is unhappy with his usage, and no longer embraces his "wide back" position label.

If thats true, it makes some sense from his standpoint. He surely is aware of what that type of usage entails from a wear and tear/staying healthy standpoint. His usage towards the end of last season, and the playoffs is not a sustainable model. At least not if you are realistically considering his overall health and longevity.

So if his intentions/desires are to not be utilized in the running game, that certainly decreases his value. As a pure WR he's not in the same league as Adams/Hill/etc, which if his previous tweet of "nothing less than $25 million" tweet is accurate he expects to get paid similarly to those guys. That's not even taking into account his health concerns.

As I previously alluded to this situation is pretty complex with several layers in play. I said it would be fascinating to watch it play out, but if reports are accurate Deebo isn't currently interested in even talking about an extension.

There is talk out there saying Deebo's trade request isn't about $, but he said he's not willing to share his reasoning. So who knows, but reading the tea leaves it seems like things got personal somewhere along the way. It always seemed like Deebo loved being a 9er, he's usually smiling, always talks fondly of his teammates, rocking the HUGE 49er helmet chain covered in bling, and leading the team out of the lockerroom with the boombox on his shoulder in the playoffs.

Idk, things might eventually get worked out but its currently looking kinda bleak.

[wco81]

Still believe in Shanahan and Lynch?

I wouldn't say that this in particular shakes my confidence in them. Especially at this point. Let's see how it all shakes out.

I have some pretty significant concerns about extending Deebo. He's a great player, but he's had one good (admittedly it was amazing) season, and the other two have been seriously marred by injury. Even if we use him sparingly out of the backfield going forward, his longterm prospects aren't great. If we could get a blockbuster trade for him, I would seriously consider it. Though this is a **** draft, so the odds of replacing him with a single player are obviously pretty limited.

I've been pretty vocal in my criticism of the FO, particularly around the draft and big FA moves, but it was an impressive feat to get this team within a few minutes of going to the SB this past year. Garoppolo played poorly through the playoffs, and sure, we got pretty lucky in GB, but we were right there with the Rams to the end, and if Tartt holds onto that gimme pick, we probably win that game. So yeah, when viewed from that lens, I'm pretty happy with the job those guys have done, even if they've had their fair share of huge misses.

We've cited the mistakes in draft and other personnel moves.

What happens to Deebo may ultimately end up in the mistakes part of the ledger.

They moved up to draft him and while they've gotten a lot of productivity from him, his usage made the offense way too reliant on him.

Just makes all the other draft mistakes more glaring, because someone like Sermon has shown nothing, so they had to use Deebo more out of the backfield.

Maybe also lack of trust in Jimmy to throw downfield, though part of it was playing through injuries.

I'm curious to see what AJ Brown will get, since he should also be due for an extension. Deebo has made a lot of big plays for the team but he's not worth Davante Adams or Tyreke Hill money. In fact I' not sure any WRs are worth that kind of money.

It cripples teams when they have to pay QB that kind of money and now they have to pay WRs, DEs, CBs in the $20-30 million a year range?

Guess it's time to draft more WRs.

They better actually use Kittle, whom they're paying a lot, in the passing game, not just running game or staying in for pass blocking.

I don't know how many other teams are willing to pay $30 million for a WR this season. Someone mentioned the Jets but why, they're not a contender. I can kind of see why Raiders and Dolphins paid, they expect to make waves.

Too bad, they might have been able to trade him to the Dolphins if Deebo demanded a trade before the Chiefs traded Hill.

[Jikkle]

Reportedly the Jets are willing to give up #10 for him.

I'd rather keep Deebo than trade him but I'd definitely be down for the #10 overall pick. Between the money you save not paying him and the player(s) you can get with the draft capital I think the team could overall end up better.

Aiyuk and Kittle can pick up the slack if Deebo gets traded and as far as running the ball goes that was never sustainable with Deebo anyways. Aiyuk just needs a better QB to throw him the ball and Kittle had a monster year for a TE the year before Deebo showed up so he can be that YAC guy with more targets along with a better QB throwing him the ball.

I just think the offensive line is a massive issue and will be the downfall if it's not addressed. Willaims is amazing but that's pretty much it.

Banks is a complete unknown and nobody is sure if he's a bust in the making or if they just held him back because he was a rookie. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now considering how really conservative the team is with playing rookies and we saw Ambry Thomas blossom when he got some starts but he didn't get in until they had no choice but to go with him.

Mack might retire and even if he doesn't he's showing his age. And no matter what happens they need to draft a C regardless so they have a guy ready to step in.

Brunskill is below average

McGlinchey is coming off a serious injury and even healthy he was just a good run blocker but an awful pass blocker.

I'd say if they got #10 is go pass rusher if there is one there worth taking. If not flip it for more picks and load up on the offensive line. Always seemed strange a team that loves the defensive line and bulking up that will leave the offensive line a barren wasteland of talent and depth.

[CrimsonCrew]

Still believe in Shanahan and Lynch?

I wouldn't say that this in particular shakes my confidence in them. Especially at this point. Let's see how it all shakes out.

I have some pretty significant concerns about extending Deebo. He's a great player, but he's had one good (admittedly it was amazing) season, and the other two have been seriously marred by injury. Even if we use him sparingly out of the backfield going forward, his longterm prospects aren't great. If we could get a blockbuster trade for him, I would seriously consider it. Though this is a **** draft, so the odds of replacing him with a single player are obviously pretty limited.

I've been pretty vocal in my criticism of the FO, particularly around the draft and big FA moves, but it was an impressive feat to get this team within a few minutes of going to the SB this past year. Garoppolo played poorly through the playoffs, and sure, we got pretty lucky in GB, but we were right there with the Rams to the end, and if Tartt holds onto that gimme pick, we probably win that game. So yeah, when viewed from that lens, I'm pretty happy with the job those guys have done, even if they've had their fair share of huge misses.

We've cited the mistakes in draft and other personnel moves.

What happens to Deebo may ultimately end up in the mistakes part of the ledger.

They moved up to draft him and while they've gotten a lot of productivity from him, his usage made the offense way too reliant on him.

Just makes all the other draft mistakes more glaring, because someone like Sermon has shown nothing, so they had to use Deebo more out of the backfield.

Maybe also lack of trust in Jimmy to throw downfield, though part of it was playing through injuries.

I'm curious to see what AJ Brown will get, since he should also be due for an extension. Deebo has made a lot of big plays for the team but he's not worth Davante Adams or Tyreke Hill money. In fact I' not sure any WRs are worth that kind of money.

It cripples teams when they have to pay QB that kind of money and now they have to pay WRs, DEs, CBs in the $20-30 million a year range?

Guess it's time to draft more WRs.

They better actually use Kittle, whom they're paying a lot, in the passing game, not just running game or staying in for pass blocking.

I don't know how many other teams are willing to pay $30 million for a WR this season. Someone mentioned the Jets but why, they're not a contender. I can kind of see why Raiders and Dolphins paid, they expect to make waves.

Too bad, they might have been able to trade him to the Dolphins if Deebo demanded a trade before the Chiefs traded Hill.

It's a minor thing, but they didn't move up to draft Deebo. And even if he never plays another snap with the team, he'll still go down as a successful draft pick.

Also minor, but Sermon was on IR from week 12 until the playoffs. Sure, he was a big disappointment last year, but I've got to think he would have gotten a few more looks as a runner if he had been healthy. For that matter, Jeff Wilson clearly wasn't entirely right, either. I don't think running Samuel so much was part of the plan, it's just they way things worked out.

I'm curious to see how this shakes out on both sides of the equation. Deebo may have something of a grass is greener outlook on things, and could certainly regret forcing a trade. If he ends up on the Jets or Panthers, he may come to look back on his decision to force a trade with remorse. The Niners aren't a perfect organization by any means, but they are a legit playoff contender basically every year (granted the wheels can also fall off).

I have serious reservations about paying Deebo the amount of money he's reportedly seeking. If another team is willing to give us a high draft pick and spare us from that contract on an injury prone player, I think we've got to strongly consider it. Particularly if that player is effectively refusing to do some of the things that make him truly special. Now, as I've said previously, it's a mistake to continue to use him they way we did late in the year. At worst, he's a very effective WR (if not elite), and running him up the middle dilutes his strengths.

But I would imagine that any team that trades a lot for him, much less pays him a lot of money, is going to want to use him in the run game as well. Sure, no team is going to want to give him 7-10 carries a game, but conversely, no team is going to be satisfied giving him no carries presumably.

[CrimsonCrew]

Reportedly the Jets are willing to give up #10 for him.

I'd rather keep Deebo than trade him but I'd definitely be down for the #10 overall pick. Between the money you save not paying him and the player(s) you can get with the draft capital I think the team could overall end up better.

Aiyuk and Kittle can pick up the slack if Deebo gets traded and as far as running the ball goes that was never sustainable with Deebo anyways. Aiyuk just needs a better QB to throw him the ball and Kittle had a monster year for a TE the year before Deebo showed up so he can be that YAC guy with more targets along with a better QB throwing him the ball.

I just think the offensive line is a massive issue and will be the downfall if it's not addressed. Willaims is amazing but that's pretty much it.

Banks is a complete unknown and nobody is sure if he's a bust in the making or if they just held him back because he was a rookie. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now considering how really conservative the team is with playing rookies and we saw Ambry Thomas blossom when he got some starts but he didn't get in until they had no choice but to go with him.

Mack might retire and even if he doesn't he's showing his age. And no matter what happens they need to draft a C regardless so they have a guy ready to step in.

Brunskill is below average

McGlinchey is coming off a serious injury and even healthy he was just a good run blocker but an awful pass blocker.

I'd say if they got #10 is go pass rusher if there is one there worth taking. If not flip it for more picks and load up on the offensive line. Always seemed strange a team that loves the defensive line and bulking up that will leave the offensive line a barren wasteland of talent and depth.

Yeah, if the Jets or Panthers are willing to part with their first-round pick, we've got to at least consider it. We have a fair bit of leverage as we can control Deebo for at least two more years, but if he's disgruntled, it's not a great situation. May be better just to cut bait, get a big return for him, and extend Bosa. WR is a value position, but it's also a position where you can find talented players in the second, third, and fourth rounds. The problem with this draft is that it's not very top-heavy. It's pretty deep, but the top of the class is pretty diluted, and the different between a player at 10 and in the 20s may not be that great.

If we did trade Deebo, I'd probably be looking at DE or CB with that first-round pick, maybe safety if Hamilton falls, even though WR becomes a pretty significant need. Best-case, I'd move back into the 20s, get more draft capital, and add a defensive player there.

In terms of the OL, it's obviously a huge need. The optimistic side of me looks at how the team handled guys like Aiyuk and Thomas this year and holds out some hope that Banks can be a solid player. And McGlinchey might rebound after finally clearing up an injury issue that has apparently been bothering him for years. But it's a major concern. The good news is that interior OL can be found in the third and fourth rounds, and we need to make at least two picks along the OL in this draft.

[thesack12]

The two quickest/easiest ways to ruin a young QB is putting him behind a shoddy offensive line and not surrounding him with viable weapons. If Deebo walks out that door, the 49ers will be exposing Trey Lance to both of those things. Frequently changing the OC/offensive scheme is the 3rd of the terrible trifecta of things you can do to a young QB, but fortunately we don't have to worry about that one for now.

Even if Mack returns, the O-line is highly suspect going into the season. Its not even like Mack is a high end C at this point in his career and he's 37 years old, so C should be a priority anyways. Trent Williams is great, but he's obviously at the tail end of his career and is starting to become more and more susceptible to getting banged up. We all know the story with Aaron Banks, but until he's able to prove he can be a solid player, let alone even dress on gamedays, I'm not going to consider him promising. Moore is a late round pick, that doesn't have much upside.

In other words, 9ers are old and quite thin along the offensive line. Two things that don't bode well for any team, and even worse so for a team with a green as goose poop quarterback.

Even with having Deebo in the fold, the 9ers cache of weapons is very thin and kind of over-rated. Subtracting Deebo from that equation, and we are looking at a bottom 10 collection of weaponry. Kittle hasn't been at the top of his game the last couple seasons. A lot of that can be attributed to his health and the fact that he's frequently needed to stay in and help pass protection. You hope he can stay healthy, but I honestly see no reason to believe that he won't be needed as much for pass protection moving forward. Aiyuk has been a disappointment so far. The simple fact that he was passed up by Trent Sherfield and stayed firmly in Shanahan's doghouse for several weeks/games, isn't encouraging. Jennings came on at the end of last season, but realistically he's probably not going to be anything more than a slightly better version of Kendrick Bourne. I.E. a decent 3rd down/possession receiver with inconsistent hands. Outside of those guys, there really isn't anything worth mentioning. If Deebo isn't on the field, defenses will key in on Kittle/Aiyuk which will likely render them to be even less effective than they have been recently.

Long story short, going into this draft I would be prioritizing the 2 areas that will be directly responsible for helping the young QB, which is O-line and weaponry. 9ers gave up a very expensive cache of draft picks, and will be moving on from a solid/very successful QB to do so. Positioning Lance to succeed, should be priority #1, #2, and #3.

Without a Deebo trade, The only defensive position I would even consider at the top half of the draft is CB. And that's probably only if the value of a CB on the board is just too good to pass up. With a Deebo trade, IMO its makes it a lock they should go all offense in the first half of the draft. While the pass rush could use a boost, I feel MUCH more confident in that group now and for the next couple years than I do about the O-line and a Deebo-less WR corps.

[CrimsonCrew]

The two quickest/easiest ways to ruin a young QB is putting him behind a shoddy offensive line and not surrounding him with viable weapons. If Deebo walks out that door, the 49ers will be exposing Trey Lance to both of those things. Frequently changing the OC/offensive scheme is the 3rd of the terrible trifecta of things you can do to a young QB, but fortunately we don't have to worry about that one for now.

Even if Mack returns, the O-line is highly suspect going into the season. Its not even like Mack is a high end C at this point in his career and he's 37 years old, so C should be a priority anyways. Trent Williams is great, but he's obviously at the tail end of his career and is starting to become more and more susceptible to getting banged up. We all know the story with Aaron Banks, but until he's able to prove he can be a solid player, let alone even dress on gamedays, I'm not going to consider him promising. Moore is a late round pick, that doesn't have much upside.

In other words, 9ers are old and quite thin along the offensive line. Two things that don't bode well for any team, and even worse so for a team with a green as goose poop quarterback.

Even with having Deebo in the fold, the 9ers cache of weapons is very thin and kind of over-rated. Subtracting Deebo from that equation, and we are looking at a bottom 10 collection of weaponry. Kittle hasn't been at the top of his game the last couple seasons. A lot of that can be attributed to his health and the fact that he's frequently needed to stay in and help pass protection. You hope he can stay healthy, but I honestly see no reason to believe that he won't be needed as much for pass protection moving forward. Aiyuk has been a disappointment so far. The simple fact that he was passed up by Trent Sherfield and stayed firmly in Shanahan's doghouse for several weeks/games, isn't encouraging. Jennings came on at the end of last season, but realistically he's probably not going to be anything more than a slightly better version of Kendrick Bourne. I.E. a decent 3rd down/possession receiver with inconsistent hands. Outside of those guys, there really isn't anything worth mentioning. If Deebo isn't on the field, defenses will key in on Kittle/Aiyuk which will likely render them to be even less effective than they have been recently.

Long story short, going into this draft I would be prioritizing the 2 areas that will be directly responsible for helping the young QB, which is O-line and weaponry. 9ers gave up a very expensive cache of draft picks, and will be moving on from a solid/very successful QB to do so. Positioning Lance to succeed, should be priority #1, #2, and #3.

Without a Deebo trade, The only defensive position I would even consider at the top half of the draft is CB. And that's probably only if the value of a CB on the board is just too good to pass up. With a Deebo trade, IMO its makes it a lock they should go all offense in the first half of the draft. While the pass rush could use a boost, I feel MUCH more confident in that group now and for the next couple years than I do about the O-line and a Deebo-less WR corps.

Generally speaking, I agree entirely that the focus must be on supporting Lance. That said, they just used a high second-rounder on an interior OL, and as a general proposition, that's a position you can address on the second and third day. I have serious doubts about Banks, but Shanahan doesn't like playing rookies if he can avoid it, so not playing much isn't as big an indictment as it might otherwise be. But it's sounding like Mack may be done, and that creates a ton of uncertainty on the interior. McGlinchey isn't very good, but we aren't likely to find a replacement for him this season. That said, we need to add two or three OL in this draft as far as I'm concerned.

In terms of Deebo and the offensive weapons, a few thoughts. First, obviously you'd like to keep him. But if he's adamant he's not going to play for the team, then you try to turn him into something. But sure, you've got to take steps to replace him if you let him walk.

I strongly disagree that our weaponry is overrated, though. With Deebo in the fold, we're up there with the league leaders in offensive firepower. Sure, the depth chart is relatively thin, but Deebo is an elite receiver. And Aiyuk is damn good. The fact that Shanahan was playing Sherfield and Sanu over him early in the year is more an indictment of Shanahan than Aiyuk, though I can see a coach trying to send a message to a player. He's a very effective deep threat, but we haven't had a QB who can take advantage of that. Aiyuk was roasting guys in the playoffs, but Jimmy wasn't hitting him.

As for Kittle, the dude is every bit as talented as he was in 2018, we just didn't use him very effectively or consistently. Again, Jimmy checked down to Kittle a ton, but he wasn't airing it out effectively. Kittle has actually been at his most effective playing with other QBs, particularly Mullens. Kittle averaged 96 YPG in seven starts with Mullens at QB in 2018. In 2020, they only played two full games together, but Kittle had 183 yards and 92 yards in those two games. The reality is that Jimmy was holding him back.

In terms of the defense, if we have the chance to get a legit pass-rusher in the second - and the way this draft is shaping up, we might - we need to strongly consider it. An impact pass rusher opposite Bosa has the potential to take the D to another level. CB and S remain concerns, but we're now three-deep with starting caliber players at CB, at least.