San Francisco 49er Draft Review Day One and Two.

The 2014 draft began with the opening of the league year for Trent Baalke and company. Their first player move was the acquisition of quarterback Blaine Gabbert from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 6th round pick (#205 overall) in this year's draft, and possible future considerations in the 2015 draft which would be performance based. It was a deal that had been in the works for some time according to David Caldwell, the Jags G.M., beginning midway through last season when the teams played in London and Gabbert was finally healthy enough to start but was left sitting behind his former backup Chad Henne. Baalke inquired about the availability of Gabbert, a player they had evaluated highly prior to the 2011 draft. Jags were unsure at that time of their quarterbacking plans, and in retrospect, apparently were high on local college quarterback Blake Bortles playing for Cental Florida. Gabbert had a rough start in Jacksonville under some terrible conditions for a young quarterback. There was a record setting injury run for his first two seasons, to his teammates and himself. He had to deal with a new coaching staff and offensive scheme every year. Talk of relocation was rampant and Gene Smith was shaving the team payroll to make the team easier to sell. The team was sold his first season, the General Manager who drafted him was fired his second season, and as one of the last survivors of that team he joined in August of 2011, he became the focal point of fan and media discontent. Caldwell and Gus Bradley decided it was best for all concerned to make a change. In respect to Gabbert who was well liked by the new owners and management, Caldwell didn't shop him around the league but dealt directly with Baalke as he perceived it to be the best situation for Gabbert, being able to play for a strong team under a respected developer of young quarterbacks in Jim Harbaugh. Gabbert is still just 24, the same age as Tom Savage who Houston drafted at the position in the fourth round this year, but he has three years of NFL experience and nearly 30 starts, despite lost time due to injuries. He was the top rated quarterback in the 2011 draft, and likely the top rated quarterback on the 9ers board, but they had made a commitment to Alex Smith not to draft a quarterback in the first round in order to give him a fair shot at the starting role. The top pick was used on Aldon Smith, and Gabbert was taken shortly afterwards by Jacksonville, with the 49ers using a second round pick to add Colin Kaepernick. Now Gabbert gets a chance to start fresh in a new location, and represents the first return of the 2014 draft for San Francisco. The team had 11 picks prior to the Gabbert deal, dropped to 10 briefly, then added a third round compensatory pick (#100 overall) to get them back to 11. Their first round pick at #30 overall was used to bring versatile defensive backfielder Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois. Ward was a bit under the radar, playing at a smaller school and not making any high profile Bowl appearances. He was the #1 rated strong safety by NFL Draft Scout, and ranked #33 overall by that outlet. Ward has a good blend of skills for a defensive back, decent size, above average speed, with superior instincts and competitiveness. His first role will be as a nickle back, where his coverage ability and sure tackling should allow him to excel. At 5-11, and under 200 pounds, he will probably have to bulk up somewhat to play as a full time safety, or develop his cover skills to play outside cornerback. The team's first of two second round picks was situated at #56 overall, but prior to making the selection the team announced a deal bringing veteran receiver Stevie Johnson from Buffalo for a 2015 fourth round pick. Johnson who had been the Bills' #1 receiver for the past four seasons, became expendable with the acquisition of Mike Williams via trade, and Sammy Watkins early in the first round of the draft. Expectations of an early pick at wide receiver were altered, and the #56 was traded back to Denver at #63 for a fifth in 2014 and a fourth in 2014 (essentially replacing the pick they spent on Johnson earlier). Thereupon Baalke, in a clever bit of draft manipulation, sent the 2014 portion of the payment he received from Denver moments earlier to San Diego at #57, while retaining the 2015 fourth round pick. With the #57 overall selection he tabbed power runner Carlos Hyde from Ohio State. It was a luxury selection (originally part payment for Alex Smith) which had already delivered a Pro Bowl quality wideout in Stevie Johnson, so the club could afford to indulge in a value player even if it was at a position of depth. Hyde was the consensus top all around RB available, an ideal blend of power and speed for the position. Their own pick in round two was subsequently dealt to Jacksonville for a move back into the early part of round three (#70 overall), along with a fourth round selection (#150 overall). Having covered the two primary need positions going into the draft, nickle back and wide receiver, Baalke covered a potential third weakness by taking top rated center Marcus Martin. Martin was the youngest player available in the draft, and won't turn 21 until late in the upcoming season. He has tremendous upside at the position which is currently occupied by utility lineman Daniel Kilgore. Shortly thereafter, at #77 overall in round three, Baalke covered another temporary soft spot on the roster by adding one of the top rated inside linebackers available, Chris Borland of Wisconsin. Borland provides day one cover for the absence of All Pro Navarro Bowman, coming off a severe knee injury in last year's playoffs. A fifth year senior with a sterling record of production, Borland is one of the most NFL ready prospects in the draft. Finally, they closed out the second day of the draft by using their compensatory pick (#100 overall) on big OT Brandon Thomas of Clemson, a conversion project to guard as a pro. Thomas was one of the top rated guards, but suffered a knee injury during the pre draft workouts that will sideline him all of the upcoming season. With a plethora of picks and few holes to fill, San Fran was a team that could afford to stash him on the roster for a year. Once he is healthy he should be a long term starter inside.

Starting over again from scratch

The Mike Mularkey era in Jacksonville was brief and unmemorable. An early holdout by star running back Maurice Jones-Drew set the table, another spate of injuries followed, culminating in season ending situations for both Jones-Drew and Gabbert just past the mid point of the schedule. Tempers frayed and eventually imploded with the club finishing a dismal 2-14, tied for last in the league. The offense continued to struggle, with some players having difficulty picking up the complexities of the new system, then the injuries to MJD and Gabbert, just as the team was getting comfortable with it. Free agent signings Robinson and Evans failed spectacularly, with just a handful of catches from Robinson to show for the money spent. Both have been released. Mike Thomas never showed up to earn the fat contract he signed the previous season, and was dealt away midway through the year. Top draft pick Blackmon started predictably slowly, and by the time he hit his stride the team was out of the race. Cecil Shorts grabbed the other spot, and was the one bright spot on the roster.

Gabbert showed appreciable statistical improvement up to the time he was hurt, but that was overshadowed by the awful performance of the team as a whole. Unfortunately he was unable to reap the benefits of an easier second half of the season, and better mastery of the new system. Playing with a seperated shoulder for the bulk of the year, he eventually was knocked out of the lineup for good with a freak forearm injury which affected his ability to grip the football. Mularkey cracked under the pressure and tried to use Blaine's struggles as a crutch, loudly proclaiming that Chad Henne was now the quarterback after the five year vet had a strong start in the game he replaced Blaine due to the injury. That didn't hold up, and the team won only one game in the second half, with Henne's passer rating eventually dropping below Gabbert's.

It was the final straw for Gene Smith, the general manager, and he was sacked promptly after the season. Young first year G.M., David Caldwell was hired in his place, following a very successful front office career with the Colts and Falcons. Given the right to choose his coachs, Caldwell opted to clear the decks and fired Mularkey and the majority of the assistant coaching staff. He brought in highly regarded assistant Gus Bradley from Seattle as the head coach, then he and Bradley added Bob Babich from Chicago, and Judd Fisch from the college ranks as the defensive and offensive co-ordinators respectively.

The message from Caldwell and Bradley has been that it's a new start, a rebuilding phase, and that all positions are open for cometition. Numerous vets whose contracts had expired were not re signed, and several others were cut. The two are of the opinion that the entire culture of the organization needs to be reset.

Tough start to Blaine's career, but it may turn out for the best in the long run. Although he has owned the team for over a year, it took some time for Shad Khan to really establish his style and put his own people in the key positions. Now that that seems to be affected, there should be some degree of stability within the organization. A lot of the pressure that was dropped on Gabbert's shoulders early on has been lifted, and the new managment group seem much more in tune with his personality. They are young, vibrant, and intelligent.

Gabbert Gearing For Year Two

Slightly more than a year from the time that Blaine Gabbert entered the ranks of professional football, and he has already had a large dose of the pitfalls of the occupation. Blaine came in handicapped by the NFL labor strife situation, and the subsequent loss of normal training camp and pre season preparation time. Under the original vision the team had for their top draft pick that might not have been a huge issue, as he was expected to sit and learn behind capable vets David Garrard and Luke McCown for a season or two. But Garrard did not react well to the drafting of his successor and never got going in the abbreviated training camp. Faced with the possibility of paying an $8 million bonus to a backup quarterback, the team wisely decided to part ways with the 10 year vet.

In light of Gabbert's lack of proper pep time, Jack Del Rio turned to backup Luke McCown to start the season. McCown got through the first game and even came  out a winner, but in game two the wheels fell off. Again it was a case of a presumably reliable veteran crumbling under pressure, and by the third week of the season a still 21 year old Blaine Gabbert was named the starter. His performance under the circumstances was predictably wobbly, showing flashes of mastery mixed with longer periods of confusion and ineptitude. Before he really had a chance to become comfortable in the system, the bubbling discontent in the coaching staff came to a head while secret negotiations for the sale of the team by long time owner Wayne Weaver gathered momentum. Hobbled by the uncertainty from the very top of the organization to the bottom, G.M. Gene Smith had to ignore or apply band aid solutions to personal problems, in particular a lack of depth at the wide receiver position. The talent problem was exacerbated by a severe string of serious injuries to players on both sides of the ball.

Everything came to a head in late November when the team was sold and head coach Del Rio fired, simultaneous with some changes in the assistant coaching hierarchy. Chaos ruled, as the club tried to adjust mid season to overwhelming change. That pretty much put a stake through the heart of any hopes the club had for a playoff run and a successful season. Gabbert was caught squarely in the spotlight, as one of the few players who didn't miss a start after he gained his position. Other starters came and went, along with various temporary fill ins. Despite playing much of the season with a broken toe, Gabbert never missed a snap, except when Del Rio pulled him breifly at the end of a game just before he was fired.

Post season, the team hired Mike Mularkey, a long time offensive co-ordinator at various spots, to lead the team on the field. Mel Tucker returned to his defensive co-ordinator duties, with another veteran position coach Bob Bratkowski hired to co-ordinate the offense. Mularkey and Bratkowski added Greg Olson as the quarterback coach, and the very well regarded Jerry Williams as receiver's coach. New owner Shad Khan quickly won over the public with the intensity of his commitment, and several veteran free agents were brought in to shore up the team, led by Laurent Robinson, a 26 year old receiver coming off a breakout season in Dallas. Three year starting quarterback Chad Henne, another 26 year old, was signed from Miami where he lost his spot to Matt Moore after a season ending injury. Another veteran receiver, Lee Evans, was added to the roster, along with well regarded cornerback Aaron Ross. Perhaps even more significantly the Jags were able to retain the veteran free agents on their own team who had an impact last season.

The draft brought a couple of blue chip prospects, Justin Blackmon, a possession receiver from Oklahoma State who won the Biletnikoff Trophy as the best in college football the past two seasons addressed one area of need, while rangy pass rushing defensive end Andre Branch addressed the other glaring weakness. Significant contributions are expected from both of these newcomers.

For Gabbert, it means that he has at least three new receivers to throw to who weren't available last season. Robinson, Evans, and Blackmon. Also he will have a full pre season to adjust to holdovers Mike Thomas, Marcedes Lewis and Zach Miller. Miller and pass catching back Rashad Jennings both missed the vast majority of 2011 due to injury and took away Blaine's safety net. Lewis and Thomas both signed big contracts and let down noticably afterwards. Eben Britton was never right physically and eventually went on IR, affecting the cohesion of the entire line. So far at least the line appears healthy and strong from tackle to tackle. On the surface at least, most of the situations that hindered the offensive performance in 2011 have been addressed. The main change will likely come from the particular offensive system designed for the talent available, in particular quarterback Gabbert.

A common theme from within the organization from the change of ownership onwards has been strong faith in Blaine's future. Everyone from the owner, through the coaching staff, to the players on the field seems to believe that he has a good future and will be the person to lead the team for the forseeable future. That is a great start, and the fact that Gabbert came through the wars of 2011 still standing is a testament to his character and intelligence. There is no way to go but up and optimism abounds in Jacksonville as spring turns into summer.

Blaine Gabbert Year One

The latter paragraph of the Blaine Gabbert post from six months back proved to be anything but prophetic. At the time it seemed that Gabbert was entering a solid organization with stable ownership (team has since been sold), a long term coach (fired at the same time), an experienced, successful, offensive co-ordinator (feuded with H.C. during season, passed over as interim H.C., likely gone in off season).

On the field, incumbent quarterback David Garrard was cut loose on the eve of the regular season, due to a combination of poor training camp and ownership's desire to move in a new direction. The promising young bookend tackles Monroe and Britton, seldom played together, with Britton missing numerous games due to injury, and Monroe struggling alongside rookie guard Will Rackley. The receiving corps was horrendous, with the lone draftee Cecil Shorts contributing nothing, while incumbents Mike Thomas and Jason Hill performing poorly. To the point that Hill was cut loose as a parade of tryouts began, including former starter Mike Sims-Walker who was cut loose in the off season. Marcedes Lewis, who was supposed to be the bell weather, missed training camp while recovering from injury, signed a fat contract, and basically disappeared during the regular season. In a season with disappointments and failed expectations, Lewis stood out as the worst of them all. He is hanging on as a veteran leader and team spokesman, but his job is in peril for next season. Backup receiving tight end Zach Miller, a favorite target of Gabbert early on, was lost for the season due to injury.

After Garrard was cut loose, the team went briefly with backup Luke McCown, to give the kid more time to prepare, without having had a normal training camp to adjust to the league. McCown fell apart badly in the second game of the season and Gabbert came in much earlier than expected or hoped for. He had some moments early on, then the pressure and lack of support seemed to throw his game off during the midpoint stretch of the season. Sale of the team and turnovers in coaching staff followed on that. Blaine is keeping his head above water, but not much more, as the season winds down, and the injuries pile up. His stats to this point are about average for a rookie starter in the league, but he is getting a lot of extra pressure because other rookies drafted before and after him have performed well.

But you can see Blaine on the field make the throws that caught everyone's attention prior to the draft. The work ethic and leadership skills have been as advertised. Most impressively perhaps is the way he has handled himself amongst the chaos and breakdowns around him. With class, poise, and no public show of uncertainty. On the surface at least, he seems to be dealing with the difficulties well, adapting to the changing situations, and internalizing the lessons of adversity for future reference.

NFL Draft 2011

Grading players for the NFL draft is a very subjective process, although with intense scrutiny over a period of several months, and probably tens of thousands of viewpoints published, a concensus of sorts emerges. The draft itself loosely follows that concensus, but the likelyhood of any single prognosticator coming up with the right selections in the right order probably does not last to the tenth pick of the first round. In 2011, Cam Newton was the first overall pick despite being generally considered the second best player at his position in the draft. Most high profile media scouting agencies and draft analysts, along with a majority of NFL scouts polled, felt Blaine Gabbert was the best quarterback available, and about the tenth best prospect overall.

As it turns out, Gabbert was taken with the tenth overall pick, by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded up six positions to acquire his rights. But he was the third quarterback taken in the draft, behind Newton and Jake Locker taken with the eighth overall pick. Gabbert's good friend Christian Ponder went just two slots later at number twelve overall. The talk was that Gabbert "slid" in the draft, but in fact it was more a case of other quarterbacks being taken much higher than they were rated on the big board. Blaine certainly wanted to go as high as possible in the draft, but the mild "slide" may prove beneficial to his career in the long run.

Being selected at the tenth overall spot offers a good blend of anonymity and reduced expectations along with a very healthy entry level contract. Gabbert's new teammate with the Jaguars, Tyson Alualu, was selected in the same spot a year earlier and signed a contract worth around $28 million, with $17.5 million guaranteed. A new rookie wage scale figures to push that number down somewhat, but quarterbacks generally get a position bonus added to their contract, so Blaine should be compensated somewhere in the same vicinity. More than enough money for anyone's lifetime with reasonable spending habits.

By dropping somewhat, and having the Jags move up from their original draft position, Gabbert landed on a team who finished the previous season with an 8-8 record, and one of the better offensive performances in the league. There is a stable coaching staff in place, with Jack Del Rio among the league's senior coachs in terms of service despite his relative youth. Offensive co-ordinator Dirk Koetter has been at the job for 5 years, and is highly respected for the work he does. The general manager position was created specifically for incumbent Gene Smith, who worked for the team in various front office capacities since it's inception sixteen years ago. Owner Wayne Weaver is a class act, has had the team since it's birth, and is dedicated to keeping it in the city.

On the field, Gabbert joins an offense led by veteran signal caller David Garrard, a hard working 10 year vet, who has been the starter for the past five seasons. Garrard is in his prime at 33 years of age, and has ranked among the top ten quarterbacks in the league for overall performance since he became a starter. He is a soft spoken, likeable leader of strong integrity. Garrard is supported by one of the league's top running backs in Maurice Jones-Drew, an inspirational overacheiver who is in his prime at 26. The other current star of the offense is also a 26 year old west coaster, Marcedes Lewis, the strapping 270 pound tight end. Lewis is a solid receiver, a strong blocker, and a respected leader. Two young offensive tackles taken in the first two rounds of the 2009 draft, Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, provide bookend protection on the offensive line.