*Please note that Chris Cohan does not have the competence to do anything close to anything I am suggesting. Do not write about how the warriors will never do this, because stating the obvious is unnecessary. But with all means, please feel free to comment on if it is realistic if we had an owner with a brain, as well as if you support it. Thank you

 

Objectively observing the past 40 years of the nba, there truly are only two ways to win a championship:

a. find a "once in a decade" player, get an all-star #2, and solid role players

b. formulate a team filled with high quality intelligent players

 

While formula a is typically more common, the chances of finding a guy that can impact a franchise like Larry Bird or Tim Duncan, who both increase their teams win totals by over 30 games in their rookie seasons, is extremely slim. More realistically is to target players in this league that follow the three characteristics of a champion

1. intelligence

2. selflessness

3. defense

 

Watching the warriors for the last two years, it is so clear this team lacks all three of these attributes. However, with a few trades, signings, and friendly drops from the ping pong balls, the Warriors have the potential to revolutionize this franchise.

 

Step #1: Fire Nellie and hire Keith Smart

Don Nelson is so checked out at this point. Against the Mavericks, Anthony Morrow made a lane violation from the 3 point line during a free throw (didn't even know that was possible) and Nellie didn't even glace at him when Morrow marched to the bench. He clearly is not committed to playing any defense whatsoever, nevertheless managing players minutes and winning games. Keith Smart is far more defensive minded and is a players coach. Even an outside hire is acceptable, just get rid of Nelson. Until it happens, no other move really makes a difference

 

Step #2: Monta-Mags to Chicago Blockbuster Deal

Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette are two of the high points of a grim season. Monta is putting up all-star numbers, at 26.2 a night, complementing that with 5.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals. Maggette is having his most efficient and arguably his best overall year in his career, scoring 20.8 ppg while shooting 52% from the field. Unfortunately, neither of them truly fit what is sought after in a championship team. For starters, both players take a lot of shots, and make sure they get their numbers, often at the expense of teammates. In addition, the defensive play of these two individuals falls well below what should be expected from an elite team. Meanwhile, Kirk Henrich and Luol Deng both play absolutely superb defense. Deng is also a potent scorer as well, and an excellent rebounder for a small forward.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ygsybbl

 

Step #3: Andrew Bogut Blockbuster Deal

Andrew Bogut is one of the most underrated players in the league. Currently averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks, he has the size to match anyone and the skill to keep up with the leagues best bigmen. To join Bogut in this deal is Charlie Bell, who is a defensive minded combo guard, similar to Kirk Henrich. For the Warriors Andris Biendris has shown a total lack of focus and toughness. Since his brief double-double streak of last year, he has been one of the biggest disappointments for the warriors. Essentially, he is a very poor mans Joe Barry Carroll. Anthony Randolph, while high on potential, just completely lacks basic basketball fundamentals and IQ. It's one thing to lack skill, but too play as sloppy of a game as he does just won't work in this league. He is only 20, but it just looks like he simply doesn't get it.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ykgvu6h

 

Step #4: Draft Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State

John Wall is a nice thought, but Turner is a player who could be drafted anywhere from #2-4. He is the most NBA ready of all elite prospects, and has a high basketball IQ. At 6'7", he fills out the stat sheet well, averaging 19.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2 steals, and one block per game, all on 56% shooting from the field. He has a ton of skill, is an above average athlete, and plays very hard. He draws a lot of comparison to Brandon Roy. He and Wall could be next years versions of Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans.

 

Step #5: Sign Udonis Haslem and Re-sign Keleana Azibuike

Udonis Haslem is a glue guy that every championship team needs. He plays harder than almost anyone else and never complains about his role. His 10 points and 7 rebounds a game are only a fragment of his true value. The Heat are looking to go for some big names this off seasons, such as Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh. Even if they fail to sign either of them, Michael Beasley might have something to say about resigning the player who takes the most minutes from him. Kelena will be a FA this off-season and it will be vital to resign him. For one, his toughness and 3 point shooting ability is tough to replace. In addition, the chemistry he brings to the lockroomer cannot be replaced by just another small forward.

 

Potential 2010-2011 Lineup:

PG: Stephen Curry / Kirk Henrich / Coby Karl (2011 MVP!)

SG: Evan Turner / Anthony Morrow / Charlie Bell

SF: Luol Deng / Keleana Azibuike / Cartier Martin

PF: Udonis Haslem / Brandon Wright / Vladimire Radmanovic

C: Andrew Bogut / Ronny Turiof / Chris Hunter

 

While I am not suggesting a lineup like this could produce a championship, or even a 50+ win season next year, it would certainly be a major upgrade from the talent we have now. Down the road, I see Curry and Turner running the show, and potentially an upgrade at power forward. Comments, opinions, thoughts?

1. Draft Joe Haden, CB, Florida- Haden has shutdown corner written all over him. He has very good speed, with a 4.4 40 yard dash time. He possessed the tackling ability of Nate Clemens, and is a proven player. He held Mardy Gilyard to a season low 41 yards, and Julio Jones to 28 yards. He is a little undersized at 5'11", 190, but makes up for with his physical play. With Nate Clemens likely moving to free safety, this pick could solidify the secondary.

 

2. Resign Aubrayo Franklin- If this is unable to happen, the niners will surely use their franchise tag on Franklin, who has emerged as an elite nose tackle since Mike Singletary became the head coach. It is no surprise the niners ranked 6th in the NFL in rush defense, and 3rd in the NFL in rushing yard per carry allowed (3.6). At 29, age is a minor concern, but players such as Casey Hampton and Kris Jenkins were able to maintain their play into the 30s, and if the niners are able to lock him up for three years, the front 7 will continue to dominate the run.

 

3. Draft  Anthony Davis, RT, Rutgers- At 6'6", 325, Davis has amazing size, and solid quickness as well, making him an ideal right tackle. Trent Williams of Oklahoma and he stand out as the top two players who could be moved to right tackle. Davis has had success ever since he went to Rutgers, as he was a freshman all-american honorable mention, and went all-conference his sophomore year. With his speed in question, he will be a guy that will draw a lot of attention at the combine, pro day, and senior bowl.

 

4. Draft Mike Iupati, G, Idaho- Waltersfootball.com absolutely loves Iupati. Frequently compared to Brandon Albert, he has a massive frame, and incredible speed to go along with it. Many project him as a late first rounder, but there is  a decent chance (like Everette Brown) to fall to our second round pick. He is the ideal niner. He has a great work ethic, and is tough, which Singletary will love. Also, according to mockthedrafting.com, the strongest part of Iupati's game is pull blocking, which the niners use as much as any team.

 

5.Draft/Sign Mardy Gilyard, WR-KR or Darren Sproles RB-KR- Outside of quarterback, the niner's are very strong at the skills positions. Gore, Davis, and Crabtree are all fantastic players, and Josh Morgan and Jason Hill both show potential to be #2 receivers. But the one thing the niners really lack is explosiveness. Getting Sproles via free agency or Gilyard via a 3rd round pick would give the niners some really speed on offense. In addition, both are great returners, and everyone knows Arnez Battle is not the answer at punt returner. Plus, who else is tired of nobody being more than a 93 speed on the niners in madden?

 

6. Resign David Baas-Baas has been a solid linemen since he was drafted in 2005. He is the best pull blocker on the team and is pretty consistent. If the niners added a rookie guard, that would be a lot of inexperience with potentially Chilo Rachal and Mike Iupati on the line. Baas is only 26, and signing him to a two year deal would add a lot of depth to the line.

 

7. No Quarterbacks- The free agency class is weak for quarterback, as Kyle Orton and Jason Campbell are among the top. The draft class has three top 10 QBs in Ryan Mallet, Jimmy Clausen, and Sam Bradford, however, the niners should not sacrifice a top CB or RT to add one of these players, as all three have clear flaws. Mallet is purely an upside pick who could take several years to develop. Bradford would be an excellent pickup, but his shoulder is a major concern, and drafting him over a tackle would not make his throwing arm any more protected. Clausen is the golden boy that never panned out. When a QB have Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, he doesn't finish 6-6, plain and simple. He has all of the talent in the world, but he comes across as a party boy, and not as a winner (remember when Ryan Leaf said he would spend his first night as an NFL player partying in Vegas). It would be foolish to spend another 4th or 5th round pick on a QB, for that is why the niners picked Nate Davis. Come fall, it should really be a two man race between Alex Smith and Nate Davis.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yk7fdum

I guess the link is not working. It is Kirk Hinrich and Luoi Deng for Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette

 

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Stephen Jackson wants out of Golden State, and wants to find a contending team.

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First of all, I am a Warrior fan/Laker hater, and I have been rooting for the Magic in the East.

 

 

 

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http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

Warriors Get: Chris Bosh

Raptors Get: Corey Maggette, Andris Biedrins, and the seventh overall pick

 

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The Matt Cassel sweepstakes seemed to take a big toll on the NFL. It destoryed Jay Culter's trust in Denver, it made people wonder if Bill took the KC deal because his friend is the gm, or maybe the most shocking of all, was Belichek being nice? As for the niners, this trade has put them in a bad position. By now having the chief picking defense, and quite possibly the Lions with Stafford's average combine, we could see a top 10 filled with defense, oline, and wr. So here's the question on everyone mind; What happens if Everette Brown, Brian Orakpo, Eugene Monroe, Michael Crabtree, and BJ Raji are off the board at #10 (assuming curry and smith is picked)?

Option #1- Take Mark Sanchez

I don't like it, I don't like it one bit, but there is no denying that it is an option. Mike only wants us throwing the ball 30 times a game, at most, putting Mark in an easy situation. Though Shaun Hill has been great, and a 7-3 record with a team that went 5-17 with other QBs is exceptional, he is not the face of a franchise. Mark is athletic, tough, and as we have seen at UCS, a complete QB and truly a "winner."

Option #2- Take on of the remaining T

Michael Oher and Andre Smith shot themselves right into the mid-first round, due to their poor combine performances. Some doubt Michael is a good enough pass blocker to play in the NFL, however, it is quite clear that this guys leadership and work ethics is match by few others and Mike would love this guy. Andre Smith is a different story. He had possibly the worse combine out of anyone. He looked slow, he interviewed poorly, and even left early. Even worse, there are rumors that he doesn't even train. But still, he is clearly the most physically gifted of the tackles and all eyes will be on him on his pro day.

Option #3- Jeremy Maclin

Jeremy is a name that has not been tossed around too much when it comes to the niners drafting him. I honestly don't see why not. He is extremely fast, runs crisp routes, and has some of the best hands in the draft. He reminds me a little of Reggie Wayne. Moran, Hill, and Zig are all solid players, but none will rise to a #1 WR, and this pick would solidify the WR corp for years.

Option #4- Reach for Aaron Maybin, Knowshon Moreno, or Ray Mauluga

Aaron Maybin is an undersized Everette Brown. Although he plays similar to Brown, he is around 15 pounds less and has only one year of experience, so he may be a fluke. RB is not a major need, but Carolina picked Stewert last year and that turned out great. Moreno has bush like lateral quickness, and although he may not have break away speed, he would be an excellent change of pace guy from Gore. Ray Mauluga makes a lot more sense for this pick then people think. He does not have the speed (4.8) to play the Mike LB in a 3-4, but have a non-stop motor and extremely tough. He hits like a ton of bricks and would create one of the most feared LB cores in the NFL.

Option #5- Vonte or Malcolm

CB and FS are pretty big needs for the niners, and these players could truly help. Malcolm Jenkins is a complete package. He has very good speed, great size, is a physical presence in the secondary, and can play FS and CB. Vonte is a pretty similar play to Malcolm. He is a ball-hawk, a tough physical corner, and just an athletic freak. Although his 5'-11" frame would like limit him to CB, he would still be an excellent pick and great along with his older brother Vernon. Hey maybe with his younger brother on the team. Vernon will be more competitive and work even harder.

Option #6- Trade down

This might be the best way to go. Maybe trading with a team in the early 20s and adding a second round pick as well would be great. As I wrote in a previous post, there are almost no picks where a bust cannot be found. Why try to reach for guys that should be in the middle of the first round when we could draft them in the pick they deserve to be in, and adding a second round pick at the same time.

Over the last 10 years, some of the nfls best players and biggest busts have come out of the top ten. Looking into the future, the past helps the niners analysis the #10 pick more vividly.

1. Tim Couch,Courtney Brown,Michael Vick,David Carr,Carson Palmer,Eli Manning,Alex Smith,Mario Williams,JaMarcus Russel,Jake Long

2. Donovan McNabb,LaVar Arrington,Leonard Davis,Julius Peppers,Charles Rodgers,Robert Gallery,Ronnie Brown,Reggie Bush,Calvin Johnson,Chris Long

3. Akili Smith,Chris Samuels,Gerard Warren,Joey Harrington,Andre Hohnson,Larry Fitzgerald,Braylon Edwards,Vince Young,Joe Thomas,Matt Ryan

4. Edgerrin James,Peter Warrick,Justin Smith,Mike Williams(OT),Dewayne Robertson,Philip River,Cedric Benson,D'Brickashaw Ferguson,Gains Adams,Derran McFadden

5. Ricky Williams,Jamaal Lewis,LaDainian Tomlinson,Quentin Jammer,Terence Newman,Sean Taylor,Carnell Williams,A.J. Hawk,Levi Brown,Glen Dorsey

6. Torry Holt,Corey Smith,Richard Seymour,Ryan Sims,Johnathan Sullivan,Kellen Winslow,Adam Jones,Vernon Davis,LaRon Landry,Vernon Gholston

7. Champ Bailey,Thomas Jones,Andre Carter,Bryant MacKenzie,Byron Leftwich,Roy Williams(WR),Troy Williamson,Michael Huff,Adrian Peterson,Sedrick Ellis

8. David Boston,Plaxico Burress,David Terell,Roy Williams(SS),Jordan Gross,DeAngelo Hall,Anrel Rolle,Donte Whitner,Jamaal Anderson,Derrick Harvey

9. Chris Claiborne,Brian Urlacher,Koren Robinson,John Henderson,Kevin Williams,Reggie Williams,Carlos Rogers,Ernie Sims,Ted Ginn Jr,Keith Rivers

10.Chris McAlister,Travis Taylor,Jamal Reynolds,Levi Jones,Terrell Suggs,Dunta Robinson,Mike Williams(WR),Matt Leinart,Amobi Okoye,Jerod Mayo

A little side note, what appears to be the clear powerhouse of all draft picks is not a top 10 pick, but #11, whose list consists of Leodis McKlevin, Patrick Willis, Jay Culter, DeMarcus Ware, Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Turfant, Dwight Freeny,Dan Morgan, Ron Dayne, and Dunte Culpeppers.

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the most talented defenses in football. Their safety core is no different. Dawan Landry and Jim Leonhard are both UFA and both fight for the same job. Landry is an aggressive player who can make big plays. He is quite similar to Michael Lewis. He makes plays at the line of scrimmage and uses his physical ability to make plays in the secondary. Leonhard is a mighty mite who is only 5'8" but is tough as nails. He had arguably the best playoff performance amongst all defensive players. In terms of a FS, Landry clearly is better built at 6'2", 215, but Leonhard is extremely smart and hard working, something that iron mike loves, and with Suggs tag and the Ray Lewis issue, it is clear on of these guys will be gone.

The other real non-draft option is to go after Gebril Wilson. Now this guy is a playmaker. Unlike most Raiders, he was quite good, but like most Raiders, was extremely overpaid. This would be the best case situation for the niners since he is a true FS. All three option are pretty young with Wilson at 27, Leonhard at 26, and Landry at 25. I personally think we should get Leonhard because he has a ton of heart and passion and would be a fan favorite. Thoughts?

As a gentleman early posted, Amare is on the block. He has always been known as the perfect warrior, and we would all be excited to have him on the team. Here would be our trade proposal.

Warriors Get: Amare Stoudemire

Suns Get: Andris Biendrins, Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph, Marco Belinelli

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=3190~2427~3455~2789~1727&teams=21~21~21~21~9&te=&cash=

Why the Suns would do it- They gain 4 young players. They are not going to win a championship with this roster so they need to rebuild. Although Amare is only 26, he will be a FA in 2010, and will likely test the market.

Why the Suns would not do it- It is hard to find a guy at age 26 who is explosive and athletic as Stoud is. He would be the cornerstone of the franchise when Shaq and Nash leave.

Why the Warriors would do it- He is the perfect warrior and an absolute beast. Although he may not be as good a defender as Beans is, he has about 10 pounds on him and is clearly the stronger guy, allowing more favorable match ups against guys like boozer and bynum.

Why the Warriors would not do it- They would loose some real quality players, especially beans. Ronny would be a big hit, but he is the only player with the contract size to make this trade possible. The microfracture raises concern on his health, and with all we went through with Monta, do we really want to pay a guy 15-20 million if he might get injured. He will be a FA in 2010, which also puts a lot of pressure to resign him.

I personally believe that this would be a great addition. Most people want to see a trade involving either Cory, Jackson, or Crawford, but you can't complain too much if we got Amare. Imagine our line up.

PG- Monta Ellis SG- Kelenna Azubuike SF- Stephen Jackson PF- Brandon Wright C- Amare Stoudemire sixth man- Cory Maggette

Not bad. Thoughts?

Hello, I'm writing from ninersnation.com. We are having a mock draft and I was selected to represent the Colts pick at number 28. I've seen the Colts when the played the Patriots, Steelers, Jags, Titans, Texans, and Browns so I've seen the good and the bad Colts. Watching those games and looking at highlights, a few positions stand out as first round needs. Basically, I'm asking what you all feel the Colts truly need. I know that Dungy liked guys with speed, but will the colts keep the tampa 2 going. Just help me out here thanks.

As the talks of free agents begin, a name nobody has really mentioned has been oshiomogho atogwe or "oj" for short. A stanford alumni, I seriously doubt the Rams would place a franchise tag on OJ, with that costing over 8 million, a thin rams cap space after that massive Steven Jackson contract, and a number two pick who will expect number two pick money, I don't see how the rams ca financially bring this guy back.

The niners on the other hand, have few free agents to bring back and almost 30 million dollars to send this off season. FS is as pressing of a need as a RT, NT, and OLB, and this would save us a second round pick essentially. At 27, Oj played around here, as previously mentioned, and would be more productive then just about any saftey in the draft, now and in the long term.

In terms of on field success, he was impressive. In 2008, he racked up 6 FF, 5 picks, and 85 tackles. In his 4 year career, he only missed 4 games, all during his rookie campaign. He has recorded 17 ints, and 11 ff in his career, and has punished the niners in recent history. He's 5'11" 210 frame serves quite well for a FS and he is known as one of the fastest players in the league, and was voted team MVP by his fellow rams. Thought?

Hello, I'm writing from ninersnation.com. We are having a mock draft and I was selected to represent the Saints pick at number 14. I've seen the Saints when the played the niners, vikings, packers, and chicago, so I've seen the good and the bad saints. Watching those games and looking at highlights, a few positions stand out as first round needs. Now the reason I'm writing this to inform me if I am incorrect on anything, so don't be shy on criticism.

Although the Saints running game was sub par, Pierre Thomas proved to be a decent player, and Bush still has the potential to be more than a WR in the backfield. I think most Saints fans would agree that the a team that ranks #1 in total offense and scoring offense, there are not major holes. Defense appears to be a completely different story.

The Saints ranked #23 in total defense and ranked #26 in scoring defense, giving up almost 27 ppg. They had an average run defense, ranked 17th in the nfl, but a pass defense ranked 23rd. The Saints forced an average 22 turnovers this season, including 15 ints and 7 fumbles. Although Sedrick Ellis did not dissapoint many, except the opposing QB, Charles Grant and Will Smith have been terrible, and it may be time to admit that the two are no long 10 sack caliber players like before. In fact, the two had 6 sacks the entire season, with 3 coming from JTO, which is why the Sainted ranked 23 in sacks.

Saftey appears to be the biggest need, with Tracy Porter and Randel Gay doing quality jobs at corner, but that is not the case with Mays not declaring. On that note, it appears it would be in the Saints best interest to address MLB if Vilma leaves, CB, or DE. The right call in my opinion, would to trade Grant/Smith for a 3rd or 4th round pick, and hope that Maybid, Orakpo, or Brown falls to #14. Ray Malugua and James Laurinitus are both options, and Malcom Jenkins could be a solid pick at corner. Thoughts?

The Lions need upgrades across the board; ownership, coaching, personel, ect. With the first pick, the Lions are most likely going to pick a future signal caller. But with a much stronger QB class in 2010, which will consist of Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, and most likely Tim Tebow (with a good chance that either Staford or Bradford don't declare) truly don't see why the Lions need a QB right away.

Looking at the O-line of Detroit, Gosder Cherilus seems to be the one guy you can build off of for the future, Manny Rameriz is a guy who could be a decent player, and Jeff Butkus being a solid vet for now, although he turns 32 in week 3. This is most likely the most talented O-line draft we will see in the next five years. So why not capitalize? With the first pick the Lions go Andre Smith, OT, Alabama. With the 20th pick, they go Duke Robinson,G, Oklahoma. And with the 33rd pick, the go Alex Mack, C, Cal. Now you have Cherilus, Rameriz, Mack, Robinson, and Smith. THATS called potential.

As for defense, spend the 3rd-7th round picks on that, mainly focusing on the secondary, with a deep CB class, and with CBs having a higher steal rate then almost every other defensive position. For QB, wait till next year, but sign a few former guys and hold some experiments. Niners will most likely cut Alex Smith, so he could be an option. Olines are the keys to championships and if Detroit pulls this off, they could become a legit team in a few years.

Writing from a die-heart 49er fan, I was just wondering a few things. Last year, I was saying the 49ers should draftt Gosder Cherilus. How did he do this year? Also, after going 0-16, who do you think the lions can build off of other than Calvin Johnson. Is Cory Redding and Ernie Sims still doing well? Obviously a lot needs to be done to help the Lions, but you have my support. Now that Millian is gone, maybe they can turn it around.

My favorite part of the off season in all sports is the NFL draft. What could be better? We get to add 5-10 of the nations top 250 stars. The hype and events is unlike any other event. And unlike the NBA draft, each year, there are stars found throughout the draft. But that all said, obviously, the first round mounts clear significant and superiority over other rounds. With the tenth pick, there are many options that we can explore. However, after listening to what Jed and Mike have said, it looks like the niners are going to rip a page out of Pittsburgh Steeler philosophy and draft the "best player available." That said, there are several players that stand out as top athletes that the niners could grasp their hand on during the April afternoon in New York.

Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

Freak, Beast, Monster, Orakpo is all of that and then some. In the weight room, his performance is unbelievable. He can bench 515, squat over 600, power cleans 380 (out of all nfl probowl LB, 40 times and bench press results vary, but the are all incredible power cleaners), has a 42 inch vertical, and runs a 4.6 40. On the field, he has been nothing short of amazing. In his 12 games this season, he had 40 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 18 TFL, 4 FF, and 27 hurries. Although some people feel his 6'-4", 260lb frame is better suited for a 4-3, since he has more quickness and explosiveness then straight up speed, if you watch him, he plays with instinct first, a key part of being a linebacker. Although expected to be a top 5 pick, Aaron Maybin could declare and steal his spot. Other than the chief, I don't see any team who would take Orakpo before us.

Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss

Unless Andre Smith does something dumb, he is going in the top 3. And as good as Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe are, they are pure pass blocking LT, and we have Staley for that. Now I understand that it is not traditional thinking to pick an offensive linemen in the first round unless there is a LT, or occasionally a LG, but we are not a normal team. Between the 55 sacks the niners allowed, a large portion came from the dreadful play of Barry Sims/Adam Snyder. That said, Michael Oher would be a great pick. At 6'-5" and 320 lb, Oher's quickness, technique, and IQ is like no other. Unlike Monroe and Smith, he is a solid run blocker. He does lack a little strength, but a person with his type of discipline and character should not become an issue.

Taylor Mays, FS, UCS

Wow, a mix of Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed, this guy can straight up play. His combination of size (6'3" 230lb) and speed (4.28 40) makes him arguably the top athlete of this year’s draft. Mays has the speed to be a corner, the ball skills and vision of a safety, and the punch and even the size of an undersized OLB. He excels at recognizing the run and attacking. He is also great in man coverage and even better in zone. At times, he is known to be a little too aggressive, but that said, he is an elite athlete and a guy who would be much more than just an upgrade from Mark Roman.

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

Although I am always one to say WRs are easy to come by and they can be found in any place, it would be foolish to ignore this man. Although Morgan, Ziegler, and Hill have created a nice young WR core, they are no Michael Crabtree. Without a doubt, the most productive WR in college football in the last ten years at least. 3137 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 231 receptions in 26 games (that’s 121 yards, 1.5 tds, and 9 rec per game) speaks for itself. Crabtree may lack, elite speed, but has a knack for getting open, runs clean crisp routes, has excellent hands and excellent hands in traffic, and can make plays in the air with his strength, body control, and jumping ability. If Oher, Mays, or Orakpo are taken, I don't see why the niners wouldn't capitalize on such a rare find.

In the offseason, the niners will have to address several needs. Coach Signletary and Shaun Hills jobs appear to be secure, but we do need a back up QB, RT, NT, pass rushing OLB, CB(since Walt appears more of a nickle back these days), and a FS. Lucky for us, this drafy is loaded with Tackles, second round DTs, and pass rushers.

Now everybody knows that Alex Smith will either take a massive paycut or be released after this year, which should free up some major capital. Looking at the FA class, the DBs appear to be quite strong. Although the niners might question signing a #2 or even a #1 corner, since Nate Clemens (although excellent other than the Dallas game) has not proved to be the highest paid corner in the nfl. However, there is a lot of quality youth in these DBs, something you don't see to often in FA.

Nnamdi Asomugha This would definately cause controversy, since he would get nate clemens type money, but with the future releasing of Jonas Jenning and the paycut/release of Alex Smith, we could make a move for him. He is a hard worker who wanted to win, and is around this area. I bet he would be thrilled to work with a guy like Mike Singletary. And seeing the raiders current situation and the fact that he was franchised last year, I don't see why we couldn't sign him. As for on the field, he may not have the best stats, but in 15 games, his receivers has been thrown to 18 times! Thats absurd. Imagine that secondary. Our secondary would be our pass rush, because QBs would stand there for 5 seconds scratching their head before P willie decideds to charge in.

Dawan Landry This is unlikely saying he is most likely to be franchised, but its worth stating that he's out there and he is only 25. He would be a ajor upgrade from Roman.

Duante Robinson Not only does this guy share the name with the coolest backyard football player of all time, but he is young and can play. He has amazing speed, and would make a solid #2 corner. His coverage skills are questionable, but I think we would be more than happy to add him.

There are plenty of other names out there, but those were the player that stood out to me who would be good for the team to aquire. Lets hope next for a successful offseason and hope next year we don't have to write about the offseason until late January or Feburary

Right now, it's almost 1:30 in the morning. As an imsomniac, I normally watch a lot of late night T.V, but since I've been watching the same sports center show for almost 3 hours, I've decided to put better use of my time.

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The 49er organization cannot hang their head over selecting Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers. First of all, he was expected to be a top 10 pick, with most people believe top 5 was a reach. Although almost anyone was better than Smith, I doubt we would have selected Rodgers. Plus, 3 years of holding a clip board for the greatest statistical QB of all time + Donald Driver and Greg Jennings = much better situation for him. Who knows, he could have turned out to be a bust in San Frnacisco And looked at the top 10, it's not very impressive. 2. Ronnie Brown- Injury prone and Frank Gore 3. Braylin Edwards- only good selection from top 10 4. Cedrick Benson- BUST 5. Carnel Williams- Injury Prone + only 1 good season 6. Adam Jones- Nate Clemens + Not worth the off field trouble 7. Troy Williamson- BUST 8. Antrel Rolle- Nate Clemens and Michael Lewis, not worth #1 9. Carlos Rodgers- Nate Clemens, not worth #1 10. Mike Williams- BUST So the top ten was not very impressive, and most picks would have been just as bad as Smith. What we should have done is traded our pick to New Orleans or Dallas, who had Aaron Brooks, and a 33 year old Drew Bledsoe. We could have Demarcus Ware or Jammaal Brown. I thought in 2005 that Smith would be like Joe Smith with the warriors, but turned out to ot even be an average player. But those two players are 2 of the best in the nfl. And o yeah, if we did the trade with Dallas, we could have also selected a guy named Shawn Merriman. He's pretty good too. So overall, niners can hang their head over pick Smith, since he was probably the best pick at the time, and most of the other top 10 picks didn't turn out that well. Plus as many Chargers fans say about Ryan Leaf, Smith cannot be a bust since his sucking got us patrick willis. Thanks Alex.

editor's note: I forgot to include brandon wright is also in this deal. I was typing this last night, saved it right before wright, then went to bed and in the morning, I guess I forgot to add him back. I was reading a fan post earlier about how big men win championships, not point guards and I could not agree more. If your point guard can get 5 assists a game, 2 turnovers, and have a special talent(like fishers FT, williams 3pt, rondos defense) then you can go pretty far if you have a big man. Now I think there is a point guard on the clippers named shaun livingston and he would be ideal. He can give you 5-7 assists with 2 turnovers, and is great at driving to the basket. But what the Warriors truely need is a real big man. That's why I think the warriors should go after greg oden. The way Biedres plays is not a style to win championships. The warriors are treating him like he will be number 2 (behind monta of coarse) and will be with us for a long time. I just don't see what he brings to the table that is so impressive. He fouls way too much, can't create his own offense, never posts up or plays physical basketball, gets scored on by almost everyone, trys to draw charges from point guards, attempts to block shots with 1 hand while moving out of the way. This is similar to the way pau gasol plays except he can post up and score and unlike beans, can make a shot outside the restricted zone. My point is, even if Beans becomes a guy who can create his own offense like a Pau Gasol type player, he will never evoluve into the type of big men that win championships. Banger centers like Shaq (soon dwight howard) and redilously skilled both defensively and offensive players like duncon and kg. Now onto the main purpose of this post, Greg Oden our answer. I don't care if he hurt his knee or not, he is the answer. He is Hekeem Olajuwon 2.0. A guy who has the size of bangers like shaq, but the skills of duncon and garnett. We'll have to give up some quality players, but I think he and Monta are the guys to build a franchise around. Here is the proposed trade: Porland Trades: Greg Oden Raef LaFrentz(to even out cap, hes an expiring contract) Golden State Trades: Anthony Randolph Sign and Trade Andris Biedres Marco Belinelli 2009 Lottery Protected 1st round draft pick 2011 Lottery Protected 1st round draft pick I know it's a lot to give up and Portland still may not except, but it's a good offer. Beans although is not a championship center, is a guy who can do a lot for you on the glass(I never said the guy can't rebound) and can score if you set him up. Travis Outlaw is running out of time, even though he is young. He has been given many chances to shine. Randolph has a major upside, and although Portland has a couple canidates at SF, nobody has risen up to the task yet and Randolph could alway rise up and take it. With the loss of James Jones, Portland has few 3 point shooters. Marco could be the James Jones for them this year. The draft picks are lottery protected incase we don't make the playoffs. Greg Oden has supposively been working out over 3 hours a day and is in great shape. We need to make a move for him.

I thought yesterdays draft was a very successful draft to say the least. Anthony Randolph looks to be a real offensive force, and is has high defensive potential. He's just an all around great player. Richard Hendrix also looks good, but you never know how a second rounder could turn out. Although Hendrix is a pretty solid low-post guy in terms of creating offense, get rebounds, and playing goood defense. But that is at the college level, and we are in trouble if we want this guy to be our guy down low. Even though Beans is pretty good, I think we need to bring in another guy, along with Beans. So taking a big bold move for a guy in his mid 20s who can be a real force when healthy, here is the trade:

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Although Monta Ellis is likely to be a future all-star, the question of whether he is a point guard or shooting guard is floating around. He is a good creator for himself, but not other, and it appears he may never be a true point guard. Most of his assist last year were from dribble penetration which lead to kick outs for 3s. So if Monta is a 2, then he becomes quite a high maintainence player, becase he can't guard shooting guards due to his size. A player like Baron Davis is a guy who has the size to guard SG. But Baron will be gone in the next 1-3 years and we will need a new big point guard to guard SGs. Some people think a trade for Derek Rose is the answer. I'm not saying that it is not. But how about this: We keep Baron for atleast 1 more year, and for our point guard for the future, we trade the 14th overall pick and Marco Bellineli for Javaris Crittenton. At 6-5, 200 pounds, he is the ideal point guard for the warriors. He has a very soild jump shot and is an average 3 point shooter. He has an amazing first step and is very explosive. He is known to be a good passer and a smart decision maker. In college he did not have a very good assist to turnover ratio, but he has improved in the nba. From the Grizzly's standpoint, they nt only get there wish of 3 first rounders, but they get a guy who can start, and allows them to trade miller with little to lose. The salaries of the two are practically the same, and the grizzly's have kyle lowery and mike conley at point guard anyways.Now we have Baron to show Javars how to run the show and in a few years, we will have an amazing back court.

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         Over the last few days,I have thought of a couple different ways the waariors could go from here. One way to go is go after JR Smith. This guy is one of the most underrated players in the nba. For a guy who only played 20 minutes a game, he would come off the bench and score 12 points a game and shoot 40% for 3-point range. He is an averag defender, but an explosive dunker and a lights out shooter. And he is only 22. HE is a restricted FA. If we get him, then Baron is most likely gone. So now we would have Monta at point and Smith a SG, two guys that are 22 and about to hit their prime.

           Another possiblity would be sort of a situation that we would not want to happen, but might so we need to address it. If Baron opts out and wants a bigger and longer contract, we have to say no. He deserves 15mil for 1-2 years at most. So if he were to leave the Dubz, and we are unable to get a guy like JR smith, we have to do something. So we shouldlook north of the border. The Toranto Rapters. We should offer the a 2009 lottery protected pick for T.J. Ford. We would have by far, the fastest backcourt in the nba,and although we would rather have baron, it is certainly better than nothing

          The last possiblity is a move on draft day. If the Chiago bulls pass up on Derrik Rose, and the Miami Heat draft him, we can do something. We should re-sign baron and trade him to the heat for Rose and someone to eat up some caps space.

http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=6565232 Basically, you create a player, sign a contract with a team and level up, by gaining experience points or by using "flex points" to level up your player. You can purchase equiptment, buy teams, train, and set tactics for your player. you can even watch highlights of your teams games and request a trade if you are unhappy with the trade. it is not like madden, it is a football simulation game. however, you can do a lot on the game and the best part is you can be on the site for hours or just go on a few minutes each day or so. The game is expanding and is changing everyday. It is completely free and is a lot of fun. Check it out

Hey it's "sourdoughsam69." I got my new sb nation 2.0 on gsom so i made it a warrior name(even though i like the niners more.) Anyways,I thought that we did a fine job drafting and we need to look ahead to the regular season. QB- ?, Grade- ? Well, we really do not know who is getting the starting good. i have always been a big Alex smith fan and i think e diserves it. If you breakdown smiths 3 healthy games to hills, they are not so far apart. 2-1 for smith, and 2-0(minnesota does not count). Smith had 1 TD-1 Int with about 500 yards. That's not good or bad. But factor a few things in. one, if you watched those game, you know battle fumbled on the 1 and VD dropped 2 tds against the rams. Now that's a 4-1 td-int ratio. Now we are talking. Hill, aroung 500 yards with a 5-1 ratio. Then look at what teams we were facing. An 8-8 cardinals, a healthy rams defense, an the pittsburgh steelers. Hill faced a prevent defense Minnesota Vikings, cincinatti, and tampa's back ups. Smith had the harder match ups. So if you really look at this you see two guys putting up similar stats with smith playing harder defenses. And when you look at 06, you can really see great potential in him, and top it of with a solid sart in 07, and 08 looks pretty good. Keep in mind that Hill was using a basic offense, tha is to simple against good teams. I think smith will win the job because of his football inteligence, and his atural talent he has when healthy. Just watch in 2008 smith will have, 3,578 yards, 18 TDs and 7 INTs. Why only decent stats? Well when you have Frank Gore who will have 2,231 yards, and 19 TDs, you don't have to pass to much.

I don't think trading up our picks is a good idea. I'm glad that we did it last year, but we should not get into that habit. We have some good draft picks. Take what it offers. Here is some news: Detroit may be looking to trade Shaun Rogers or even Roy Williams, although ESPN says a lot sometimes. I would not be suprised if they trade Rogers to Denver for Javan Walker and then trade Williams for someone else. I'm sure the niners would love to have either Williams or Rogers, but Williams may require a 1st rounder, and Rogers has never played in a 3-4 and has sometimes been inconsistant and not the best work ethics. Bot have been to Hawaii on several occations. Rogers is 28 years old, and I'm not entirely sure, but I think Williams is 24 or 25. So both pretty young. So what do you think. Should be go after one, both neither. How much do you think they are worth. Personally, I would like to go after Williams for our 1st rounder. He is the receiver we have been looking for and we can get Pat Sims in the second round, who has a much better attitude than Rogers. There has been some talk about Hanysworth, but I dont see it happening. The Titans wil likely sign him t a long term deal or ta him. If not, a team like the Giants, Broncos, or Colts would be most likely to make a move on him. He is not really meant for a 3-4, and may not have the size to handle the nose.

Poll

Who should the niners big move in the offseason be?

22%

Lance Briggs

6 votes

11%

Terrel Suggs

3 votes

18%

Alan Faneca

5 votes

14%

Other FA

4 votes

3%

Trade up for higher draft pick

1 votes

7%

Nothing. Smaller free agents but mainly focus on the draft

2 votes

3%

Shaun Rogers

1 votes

18%

Roy Williams

5 votes

27 votes | Poll has closed