49ers Notes: Final Draft Thoughts

There's been a ton of talk surrounding the 49ers of late, with the loss of Michael Crabtree for possibly all of 2013, to the new rookies in town and even the signing of consultant Eric Mangini.

Two 49ers draft picks who I've yet to get into deeper analysis of yet, and the two biggest additions to this teams offense via the draft, are RB Marcus Lattimore and TE Vance McDonald. We'll start with McDonald, cause he was selected before Lattimore in the 2nd round, and was ranked by many draft experts as a top-2 tight end in this class. NFP had McDonald as it's 37th most valuable player in the 2013 draft, so for the 49ers to get him at 55 may end up being a steal. The 6'5" 260 pound had some very nice years at Rice, where he caught 15 TD passes and over 1500 yards in his career (only two of which where full seasons as a starter). He's adept in the blocking game, and has the size to take on bigger, stronger defenders, but he's also got speed to be able to beat the average linebacker in passing routes. He should come in and immediately become the team's #2 tight end and has a chance to  be used even more prominently now with Crabtree shelved. As intigral as Delany Walker was in this offense, I see McDonald with the ability to be even more. I'm not ready to say that Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald are the next Gronkowski-Hernandez tandem, but they certainly have the ability to be.

Then of course, there's Marcus Lattimore, who I for one was thrilled about landing in the 5th round. This guy has Frank Gore written all over him, as he had that explosive freshman year for South Carolina, and unfortunately suffered that gruesome injury the following year and was never able to stay on the field. Obviously, that raises a red flag for the 49ers, but the main point here is that Lattimore will not be asked to be the bell cow in San Francisco, he won't even be 2nd on the depth chart his first year, so there will be plenty of time to get this kid recovered and back to his normal self. I know Gore is still running effectively and isn't yet 30, but he's got a lot of mileage on him and I was thinking it was time to start looking at guys who may be the future for this team at running back a few years down the line. Lattimore certainly has that potential. Kendal Hunter is that perfect change of pace back, but Lattimore has that everydown ability and can even create in the passing game. Had he been coming off a year like his freshman year, he'd have probably been a top-10 pick. On that ability alone, and getting him in the 5ht round, are two reasons why this was my favorite pick of the 2013 draft for the 49ers.

What to Do Without Crabtree?

Even if your a casual football fan in the Bay Area, I'm sure you heard the news circulation Bay Area sports talk waves Wednesday after news surfaced that the 49ers may very well be without #1 wideout Micheal Crabtree for most or all of the upcoming 2013 season.

What a tough break to hit a team with Super Bowl aspirations heading into next season, especially after the way Kaepernick and he built such a good rapport in the second half of 2012. If your not up on the details yet, Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon in the 49ers OTA's on Wednesday and immediately went under the knife to get it repaired. The initial thought after the injury was that maybe Crabtree would avoid injury and miss 3-4 months, but after surgery became necessary, his 2012 season immediately went into doubt. The tentative timetable coming out of 49ers headquarters is 6-months, which if true would put him back in position to return to the field towards the end of the regular season. Jim Harbough has made it quite clear that he's not counting out having his top wideout at some point in 2013, but most believe the injury will take closer to 8-10 months to fully heal. Whether it's 6 months and Crabtree's back for the last quarter of the season, or he misses it completely, the 49ers have just lost one of their top offensive weapons and they're going to have to address the issue.


That trade for Anquan Boldin is looking mighty good right about now, but even with Boldin in tow, the return of Mario Mannigham and the expected improvement from A.J. Jenkins, the 49ers have to go our and fill Crabtree's spot with another proven pass catcher that will take up some defensive attention. There's always the option to make a trade, but now that the 49ers are in obvious need, teams could really hold them for ransom. The one name I've seen that is intriguing and could be available is Tennessee's Nate Washington who has some big play ability and has put up decent numbers with below average quarterbacks with the Titans. The most likely addition, if they make one however, will likely come via the free agent market. There still could be other names hitting the market in the coming weeks, but right now I'd say their top target would be former 49er Brandon Lloyd. The 32 year-old showed signs of being a top wideout with San Francisco early in his career, but didn't quite start thriving until he arrived in Denver in 2010 and became Kyle Orton's number one target. Lloyd has had some injury issues in his career, but turned in a decent season in New England last year, putting up a 74/911/4 line while playing 3rd fiddle to Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski. Lloyd is intriguing because of his ability to stretch the field whereas Boldin and Manningham are more intermediate route runners.

While I fully expect a new addition to be made to the receiving corps by July, the 49ers are still going to need their players internally to really step up in Crabtree's absence. The two guys I'm talking about in particular are Vernon Davis and A.J. Jenkins. Davis fell of the face of the earth after Kaepernick took over for Smith last season, and those two must find a connection with each other this summer. Also, A.J. Jenkins was a major bust in year number one, although he did have quite a few guys ahead of him on the depth chart. If they're going to overcome the loss of Kaep's favorite target, they have to find him a new one, and both of those guys will have to be better and more consistent in 2013.

Warriors Thriving in Underdog Role

I have to admit, even I had my doubts about this team coming into the postseason after David Lee went down and without seeing much in terms of production out of Andrew Bogut. Instead though, the Warriors head into play Friday night looking to take a 2-1 lead over San Antonio in the Western Conference Semifinals.

As has been the case this whole season for Golden State, as each player goes down, it seems the Warriors just keep getting stronger and stronger. Early on, it was Andrew Bogut who couldn't get on the court, and many thought it would to a rough start for the Dubs. Then Festus Ezieli and Carl Landry each stepped up big and the Warriors instead thrived out of the gate. Coming into the postseason, just as Andrew Bogut starting finding his rythym, the Warriors lost their other big man, David Lee to what many thought would be a season-ending hip injury. After that happened, I don't think many outside of the Bay Area gave the Warriors a glimmer of hope in round one vs. Denver. Again though, they had other players step up and help overcome the loss of their 20-10 machine in Lee. Harrison Barnes has excelled in the postseason, Jarret Jack has been a steady veteran infleunce almost like Baron Davis was in 2007 and although it's taken a year and some change, the Warriors are finally reaping benefits from the Monta Ellis trade. It's taken a true team effort to get the Warriors to where they are. They really should be taking a 2-0 lead into the game Friday, but by coming back and taking game two after blowing that 16 point lead in the waning minutes of game one is a testament to what kind of fight this team has.

Now, the Warriors could lose the next three games, and be out of the tournament and it would still be considered a great season by Golden State's standards. The players know that, and I think that this team is really taking that underdog role and riding with it. It reminds me a lot of the Giants in 2010, as they weren't necessarily the best team in the game that year, but rode that late season momentum and became an unstoppable force in the playoffs. Mark Jackson's role in this run cannot be overlooked either, as he's seemingly pushed all the right buttons so far and has kept his team in the right mindset all year despite all the injuries. Jackson has this team in a defense first mind-set and they've all bought into the system and have executed it well. Since Lee went down, Jackson has had to mix and match starting lineups, going with a small, three-guard look with Jarret Jack, but he switched it up and used Draymond Green in the starting lineup Wednesday to give the team a little more defense. Despsite Green not lighting up the stat sheet, it worked out well defensively for Golden State and I wouldn't be surprised to see that same lineup take the court Friday night.

Note: David Lee is still listed as active for this series, but I highly doubt we'll see him make any kind of impact. That being said, should the Warriors advance past this round and make it to the Western Conference Finals, it wouldn't surprise me if #10 wills his way back into the starting lineup. He's still having some issues pushing off of his right leg, which would hamper his play inside, but he is practicing and is getting some of that strength back each day.

49ers Draft Review: Eric Ried, Tank Carradine

As the dust has settled on the NFL draft, we wanted to go back and take a look at some of the 49ers top draft choices and examine what they could bring to the table for the 2013 season.

We'll go ahead and start out with the top two picks, starting with first rounder Eric Reid. Obviously, if you followed the draft at all, you know the 49ers moved up 12 spots in round one in order to ensure they got the man they hope to be their replacement for DaShon Goldson. Reid is a big-hitting free safety, who excels at coming up and helping in the run game but can also drop back and do a good job in pass-coverage. He was projected to go towards the end of the first round, which makes me wonder whether the 49ers traded up with the idea of using pick 18 on Reid, or if they had someone else in their sights. Nonetheless, Reid was the choice, and I like it. I saw him play extensively in LSU's game vs. Alabama last season, and he certainly stuck out as one of the top defenders on the field. I think the best way to describe him would be "ball hawk". He's always around the ball ready to make a play, as evident by his 91 tackles in 2012. He's good in space and has good instincts. If there's an area that is a bit of a question mark with him is his speed and whether he'll be able to keep up with some of the faster receivers at the next level. Overall, I have to give them a B for this pick, as it does meet a need and Reid should be a fine NFL safety, but I do believe they could have gotten him at 30.

Eric Reid highlight video here.

With their second pick, the 49ers grabbed impressive Florida State defensive end, Cornellius "Tank" Carradine. They definitely needed to add some depth to that defensive front, and Carradine was a sound choice at the end of round two. The 6'4", 275 pound end can supply the pass rush (11 sacks in 2012) and knows how to penetrate the O-line and get in the backfield to make plays (13 TFL). I expect Reid to be starting in week one, but it also wouldn't surprise me if Carradine works his way into the lineup as well. The question for him will be his health. He's coming off a torn ACL and was limited in his draft workouts, but is expected to be ready for full participation by July. Scouts have drawn comparisons between he and Justin Tuck, so that should give you an idea of what kind of strength and power this kid plays with. If he can stay on the field and keep getting better, I think the 49ers will wind up extremely pleased with this selection down the road. Outside of the Marcus Lattimore pick, which we'll discuss later, this was my favorite pick of this draft for the 49ers.

Conellius Carradine highlight video here.

49ers Notes: Draft Day

For a team who came just short of a Super Bowl victory just over 2 months ago, the 49ers' brass still sees a lot of areas that this team can improve upon. They've been pretty aggressive in free agency, and today, weeks of waiting will come to an end as we'll finally find out exactly what they do with that 30th pick in round one.

So far leading up to this 2013 draft, the 49ers have done a pretty good job of identifying their needs and bolstering their roster in any way they can. They started out by signing of Nnamdi Asomugha, which could end being one of the steals of the offseason if he can take advantage of his fresh start in San Francisco, which I think he will absolutely do. He's expected to be the 49ers 3rd corner coming into camp, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him take a starting gig if he gets back into his Oakland form, which playing press coverage should allow him to do. The 49ers also added Craig Dahl as a backup option at free safety should they not find a more suitable replacement for Dashon Goldson by the time training camp starts. That's the one area they could go after with their first round pick, but outside of Texas' Kenny Vaccaro, who will likely be gone by the middle of round one. Dahl has started the last few seasons for St. Louis and is a solid player, but isn't quite the play-maker that Goldson was and not as good in coverage. The 49ers also added DE Glen Dorsey, a former first rounder from the Chiefs, to add some much needed depth to their defensive line, another area I wouldn't be surprised to see addressed with one of their top few picks.

Offensively, the 49ers have been aggressive as well. The biggest move perhaps made by them all offseason was trading for Anquan Boldin, who I think will be a tremendous add to the offense. Boldin never quite fit in with Baltimore like the Ravens hoped, but he still was a consistent target for Joe Flacco, and I expect him to be even better with Colin Kaepernick. I mean, before heading to Baltimore, this guy was a shoe in for 1,000 yards and 10+ TD's each season, and he's still got plenty of good football left in him. The Niners also signed Phil Dawson, who expects to take over for David Akers after the horrible season Akers had in 2012. Dawson isn't the most flashy kicker in the game, but he does get the job done and has the leg to kick the 55-yarder through the gusty winds at Candlestick.  The 49es also had to fill Alex Smith's backup QB role after dealing him to KC last month, and did so by acquiring Colt McCoy from the Browns. McCoy has the ability to move around a bit and is smart with the ball, drawing a lot of similarities to Smith in many aspects, so he should be just fine as QB 2. Of course, hopefully he won't really be needed, but if he has to come in and finish a game or fill in with a spot start, I think he's more than capable of leading this team on the short term.

With the draft getting ready to start here in an hour, I'll be back with an updated post with both the 49ers and Raiders first round picks. For the 49ers, again, defensive line, or secondary would be my guesses for their first pick. Many expect them to try and move up to make a play on Vaccaro or someone like DT Sheldon Richardson from Missouri. The Raiders are much less of a mystery, as they have the 3 pick and likely will take the best OT available, either Luke Joeckel  or Eric Fisher... Stay tuned!

2013 AL Preview: AL West

And Finally, the last of our AL Previews here at the Bay Area Sports Journal, fittingly finishing in the AL West, which I think will be the most competitive division in the American League. There's the newly stocked out Angels, but the Rangers aren't going anywhere yet, even without Hamilton, and of course the A's are always good for a surprise run, especially with that pitching staff.

1st Place, Los Angeles Angels

LF Mike Trout
SS Erik Aybar
1B Albert Pujols
LF Josh Hamilton
DH Mark Trumbo
2B Howie Kendrick
C Chris Ianetta
3B Alberto Callaspo
CF Peter Bourjos

RHP Jered Weaver
LHP C.J. Wilson
RHP Tommy Hanson
LHP Jason Vargas
RHP Joe Blanton
SU: Ernesto Frieri
CL: Ryan Madson

The Angels have it all when it comes to that lineup: speed, average, power and consistency. They have the right mixture of youth (Trout, Bourjos, Trumbo) and players in their prime (Pujols, Hamilton, Kendrick) to be serious World Series contenders. Their pitching staff should be a strength too, once Tommy Hanson figures out the AL. The one question I have with them lies in their bullpen. They're banking on the return of Ryan Madson who missed all of 2012, or the young Frieri kid to close out games for them, and they need one of them to succeed. They have enough talent in that lineup though, and enough solid starting pitchers to help overcome the bullpen weakness though, and should win 95 games.

2nd Place, Oakland Athletics (AL Wild Card)

CF Coco Crisp
2B Jemile Weeks
LF Yoenis Cespedes
DH Josh Reddick
SS Jed Lowrie 
1B Brandon Moss
RF Chris Young
3B Scott Sizemore
C John Jaso

LHP Brett Anderson
RHP Jarrod Parker
LHP Tommy Millone
RHP A.J. Griffin
RHP Bartolo Colon
SU: Ryan Cook
CL: Grant Balfour

I just really like the make-up of this young A's squad. They play hard, sound baseball and utilize the solid pitching they get. They don't have a lineup that will overwhelm you, but they have speed and guys that can get on base and cause some havoc. I think a huge key for them will be Jemile Weeks, who showed in his rookie year he can be an All-Star level player when he's right. Cespedes has MVP potential and Josh Reddick is just tapping into his abilities, so this team will only get better. That young staff will also rival any ones in the game, especially if Anderson is on like he was after returning last season. With good health and continued growth, the A's should definitely lock down one of the AL Wild Card spots.

3rd Place, Texas Rangers

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
LF David Murphy
C A.J. Pierzynski
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Craig Gentry

RHP Yu Darvish
LHP Matt Harrison
LHP Derek Holland
RHP Alexi Ogando
RHP Colby Lewis*
SU: Jason Frasor
CL: Joe Nathan

I'm sorry, but you can't replace Josh Hamilton with Lance Berkman and expect to be the same team you where the last 3 seasons. The team that repped the AL in the 2010 and 2011 World Series needs to rebuild that lineup a little bit, and not try and patch together aging vets like Bekrman and Pierzynski to try and fill the void. I love Darvish as their ace, but the rest of that rotation is under-whelming, and the bullpen is hardly one of the premiere ones in the league. The Rangers are in for a drop off this year, but still have enough offense to stay competitive. It wouldn't surprise me if they finish right around .500.

4th Place, Seattle Mariners

2B Dustin Ackley
3B Kyle Seager
DH Kendrys Morales
LF Michael Morse
C Jesus Montero
1B Justin Smoak
RF Michael Saunders
CF Franklin Gutierrez
SS Brendan Ryan

RHP Felix Hernandez
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
LHP Joe Saunders
RHP Erasmo Ramirez
RHP Jon Garland
SU: Charlie Furbish
CL: Tom Wilhelmsen

I like what the Mariners have done with their lineup, now they just need those number one picks Ackley and Smoak to start playing like the guys they were drafted to be. If that happens, the M's should be able to put runs on the board. It's keeping opposing teams off the board is what will be their biggest challenge. Their rotation after King Felix could be one of the worst in baseball, and their bullpen is stocked with young, unproven guys who will be learning on the go. I know Seattle fans would hate them for it, but I think now is the time to cash in on Hernandez and turn him into 2-3 legit, big time prospects. They probably won't ever win with Felix in his prime and could use a few good young arms to help balance out that pitching staff.

5th Place, Houston Astros

2B Jose Altuve
SS Tyler Green
LF Chris Carter
DH Carlos Pena
1B Brett Wallace
RF Rick Ankiel
3B Matt Dominguez
CF Justin Maxwell
C Jason Castro

RHP Bud Norris
RHP Lucas Harrell
RHP Jordan Lyles
RHP Phillip Humber
LHP Erik Bedard
SU: Wesley Wright
CL: Jose Veras

The newcomers to the AL may very well end up in the cellar of not only the AL West, but the entire American League. Heck, they could be the worst team in baseball. Their lineup is half full of players who'd be AAA'ers on most competitive squads, and their bullpen has more holes than Swiss cheese. Surprisingly, their rotation has some guys with potential (Norris, Lyles, Humber), but this is still a team well within the grasp of 100 losses.

2013 AL Previews: AL Central

1st Place, Detroit Tigers

CF Austin Jackson
RF Torii Hunter
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
DH Victor Martinez
SS Jhonny Peralta
LF Andy Dirks
C Alex Avila
2B Omar Infante

RHP Justin Verlander
RHP Max Scherzer
RHP Anibal Sanchez
RHP Doug Fister
LHP Drew Smyly
SU: Joaquin Benoit
CL: Bruce Rondon

The reigning League Champions are returning pretty much the same squad that took them to the Series' a year ago, they just hope their bullpen holds up a little better this time around. They're getting V-Mart back, so their offense will get a boost, but they don't have a ton of team speed, so they'll need those big hitters to be on their game. That pitching staff is one of the stronger ones in baseball, and should again have them in the running for the AL crown. I think the addition of Hunter and the return of Martinez have improved this team a lot, but they could still use some help at short and at the back end of the bullpen. Still, they're clear-cut favorites in a weak Central Division.

2nd Place, Chicago White Sox

CF Alejandro De Aza
3B Jeff Keppinger
RF Alex Rios
1B Paul Konerko
DH Adam Dunn
SS Alexi Ramirez
LF Dayan Viciedo
2B Gordon Beckam
C Tyler Flowers

LHP Chris Sale
RHP Jake Peavy
LHP Jose Quintana
RHP Gavin Floyd
LHP John Danks
SU: Matt Thronton
CL: Addison Reed

The Sox could give Detroit a run for their money in the Central with the pitching staff they've lined up. It's not quite up to Detroit's level, but it's a young one with big potential. Chris Sale is one of the most underrated arms in the game and John Danks as a number 5 just shows you their depth.They also have a more sound bullpen than Detroit, led by young closer Addison Reed. They're hoping the addition of Jeff Keppinger will help solidify the top of the order, which hasn't been good for them for a while. They have the boppers in the middle, but they need the 1-2 guys to get on base and set the table.

3rd Place, Kansas City Royals

LF Alex Gordon
SS Aclides Escobar
1B Eric Hosmer
DH Billy Butler
C Salvador Perez
3B Mike Moustakas
CF Lorenzo Cain
RF Jeff Francoeur
2B Chris Getz

RHP James Shields
RHP Ervin Santana
RHP Jeremy Guthrie
LHP Bruce Chen
RHP Wade Davis
SU: Aaron Crow
CL: Greg Holland

Once again, the Royals success will rely on whether or not their key young players can take that next step. Moustakas, Gordon, Hosmer and Cain are all legit players who could be future all-stars. Billy Butler is a legit run producer in that middle. If the youngsters start putting it together this year, this team could be a lot like that surprise Tampa Bay Rays team from a few years back. Their starting pitching after Shields and Santana is spotty, but they have one my favorite young closers in the game in Greg Holland shutting the door for them. Also, that young catcher Perez may be the 2nd best young catcher in the game behind Buster Posey.

4th Place, Cleveland Indians

CF Michael Bourne
2B Jason Kipnis
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
1B Nick Swisher
C Carlos Santana
DH Mark Reynolds
LF Michael Brantley
RF Drew Stubbs
3B Lonnie Chisenhall

RHP Justin Masterson
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez
RHP Brett Myers
RHP Zach McCallister
RHP Trevor Bauer
SU: Vinnie Pestano
CL: Chris Perez

I loved the addition of Bourne for this team, but I don't know how well Swisher will turn out for them. Their lineup is decent, they have a lot of speed and have some power, but not a lot of guys hit for very high averages, so they'll have trouble getting guys on base consistently. They've improved from last year and are on the up though, so if Ubaldo Jimenez magically re-finds his ace-like form he had in Colorado, they too could surprise a lot of people. Too many things need to go right in order for them to compete this year though.

5th Place, Minnesota Twins

CF Aaron Hicks
2B Jamey Carroll
C Joe Mauer
LF Josh Willingham
1B Justin Morneau
3B Trevor Plouffe
DH Ryan Doumit
RF Chris Parmelee
SS Pedro Florimon

LHP Scott Diamond
RHP Vance Worley
RHP Kevin Correia
RHP Mike Pelfrey
RHP Liam Hendriks
SU: Jared Burton
CL: Glen Perkins

The Twins are filled with some many holes that I just can't see them being very competitive this season. Sure, Mauer will still give you his typical .300/10/80 line, and Willingham will hit 30 jacks with a .250 average, but outside of that, everything is a crap-shoot. Who knows how the top of the order will fare with the rookie Hicks and the ancient Carroll? I don't really like anything about their pitching staff either, bullpen or starters. I could see this team being one of the worst in baseball in 2013.