3-4, 4-3 or Both?
Mar 06, 2008
42 Comments
Matthew Barrows of the Sacramento Bee had post on his blog where he talked with Scot McCloughan on a conference call and the talk of defense came up and this is what Scot had to say regarding the addition of Justin Smith.
He said the addition of Justin Smith gave the 49ers the option of becoming a primarily 4-3 defensive team next season. McCloughan said that if the 49ers draft a defensive end with the 29th overall pick next month, that alignment very well could be their base defense next season. The point was that players like Smith and Ray McDonald give the 49ers flexibility. Look for them to jump around from 4-3 to 3-4 regardless of whom they draft.
I think we we're really lucky to win that game... the defense wasn't great. They let gradkowski and campbell chuck ...
hey pundit, are we gonna get to see some highlights again this year?? i think most fans that visit this ...
The 49ers look flat on offense with the exception of gore. Nate Bynam has dropped 2 balls on one ...
Don't miss any of the action this year at the SBG Global 
3-4, 4-3, who gives a shit just put the best players on the field and let them get shit done. i just hope our offense doesnt eat shit like last year. im praying the mike martz can do something with the scrubs we have at wide reciever and put some points on the board.
Hey Ninersgold I dont think the Niners are going to take Hardy with #29 im pretty sure they will select a O-line guy or D line guy I hope they go with Trevor Laws. Hopefully Hardy is still there in the second round.
I totally agree with you Medford Trevor Laws is the real deal.I(painfully) watched almost every ND game last year,him and Zbikowski were the only bright spots on the team.
I think we should go with 4-3,3-4 mix.We honestly ( even with the addition of Smith)don’t have the lineman to let the LB’s light it up.
i think our D is more suited to play 4-3 or atleast till we get a premier pass rusher to play OLB. I dont know if lawson is the “real deal”.
http://profootballplanet.com/mock_draft
check out the link
They have us taking WR Early from Florida. I would rather take Trevor Laws check out my question I asked him under Aaron Ramun http://www.trevor-laws.com/ask/ask.php
Here’s my prediction:
Round 1 – Quentin Groves, OLB/DE Auburn
Round 2 – Carl Nicks, OL Nebraska
Round 3 – Eddie Royal, WR Virginia Tech
I like your picks prime here are mine:
Round 1 – Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
Round 2 – Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
Round 3 – Jerod Mayo ILB/OLB Tennessee
Round 4 – James Jones Pass Rush DE/OLB Eastern Michigan
I got the Michigan bias, but I think as long as Williams falls, its pretty realistic.
Did NFL Network skip over us again? I thought they were suppossed to do a state of the franchise on us.
Oh yeah I forgot we had to watch cry baby on tv Favre. He was a great QB but enough is enough. Montana never cried like that if Favre loves football so much then keep playing ur still young and ur team is good you will have plenty of time to be with ur family. Just think about us we will have to work until we r 65 and u get to retire at 38 lucky!!!!
Seriously he is old for football, but not for normal lifetime. he still in his 30’s!!! He is football old, not grandfather old!! He is younger than High School parents!!!!
I think this year we should address the wide receiver position with a first round draft pick. Ever since we drafted Rashuan Woods in the 1st round there has been nobody else and WR is the biggest postion of need!!
Hey MSouza, what do you think of Branden Albert? Our picks seem to have a common theme – addressing the needs on OL, WR and pass rush.
I like him a lot, but I can’t see us spending a first round pick on an interior o-lineman. He is probably the best guard in the draft and may warrant a 1st round selection. I remember last year when Nolan was being asked about the draft he said that you can always find talented guards and centers in the later rounds, so just off of that statement alone I don’t think the niners will target him. I wouldn’t mind us picking him up though because we do need a guard more than a tackle, and it doesn’t get better than Branden Albert this year.
I think a good alternative to Chris Williams, because he probably won’t fall, is Gosder Cherrilous. He fits our team a little bit better because he is a true right tackle and Joe Staley could then move over to the left side where he feels more comfortable.
I saw highlights of Albert that showed the kind of agility you’d want in a tackle. Nolan values versatility, so I wonder if he’d be intrigued enough to make a reach for Albert in the 1st round by trading up – can’t have enough depth when it comes to OL. I doubt that scenario will unfold, but I wouldn’t pout seeing Albert in red & gold.
neither would I, I didn’t realize he could play tackle too.
Ninersgold brought up a good point…………Since this is Nolans last year, (most likely)……It would make since for McCloughan to
trade a high draft pick from 2009, for a late 1st or high 2nd this
year. We need starters at OT, DE/OLB, and WR. I don’t think our 3rd
pick, is gonna translate to a starter this year. If Nolan doesn’t make the playoffs this year he’s gone. Worry about next years draft
next year. Remember they have to sell tickets, and build a new stadium, (which is gonna be coming up on Santa Clara ballot soon).
What do you think????????????????
I think after seeing how this year turned out and how we tried this whole trade next years pick away thing really didn’t work out well for us I really can’t see us doing it again. While Nolan’s job may be on line this season. McCloughan’s isn’t. He’s set in at GM and can look to build this team even if it isn’t Nolan as coach in 2 years.
If anything I would see if someone wanted to jump up from 2nd round to our first and see if we could pick up additional high 2nd and a 3rd or 4th. A lot of mocks I have seen have Brohm slipping quite a bit and someone could reach for him or another qb late to try to trade up to grab one before 2nd round starts again. Again that trade down a little idea is only if there isn’t the talent we are looking for at our pick. Right now its anyone’s guess as far as what happens. However I do think that we will not trade away our 2009 picks for picks this year.
Actuallt Mcoughan thinks the trade thing went excellent, and he doesn’t regret it at all. He still got a “dang good player” out of Joe Staley. I would love to see us get two first rounders, than we could really just draft BPA at OT and WR. I could see Gosder Cherilius, whom the 9ners have shown interest in, but don’t think he will fall far enough to them (reason to get another 1st round pick), and the team would probaly with the 29th pick go with the best WR available or Quentin Groves if he is there. Pass rush, and great pass protection/run blocking in the same pick. I think hardy could still fall to us in the second because of his off the field issues, despite the great combine and 4.45 40 with his 6′5″ and a half 220 pound frame. Than with our third pick we could get a NT Ahtyba Rubin, 6′2″ and a half and 320 pounds of power, the guy isn’t even fat, he is just straight up muscle, if you saw him in the combine you would know what I mean, he is a solid brick house! Also with our other picks we will probaly pick up some interior o-linemen and a late round QB despite JT O’ Sullivan.
*Actually
Nolan doesn’t strike me as a guy willing to ruin a franchises future just to get him another year. I think the one thing that saved his job this year is that he has done a very good job drafting and bringing in talented players.
Remember Gore was taken till the third round, you never know when a gem comes along.
While I def agree with Rubin in 3rd I would love that he’s ideal guy for a NT. In college his stats were low but that was because he was commanding atleast 2 interior Oline to block him.
I don’t think Hardy falls to us in the 2nd I think if we don’t take him in the 1st if he is available I think that the Jets might take him in the 2nd. Coles is overrated and wants a new deal from them already. and after him they have no one. With giants just winning super bowl now they have move pressure on them. Judging from what Burress did for Giants offense. I’d have to think they would atleast be really interested. I also wouldn’t rule out the Raiders being interested in him in 2nd b/c well lets face it they have no one at WR. And with a young qb a nice WR to work with could do well for them. I just don’t know if Hardy falls to us in 2nd b/c while he has had off field issues. I think teams are going to look at his intangibles and be willing to take that risk on him.
While we did get a great player in staley and by actually being lower in draft saves us some money on the pick we sign. I just hate to trade away 09’s first. We got lucky last yr with indy giving us 1st rounder this year for our 2nd last. This draft is pretty deep in a few positions.
One guy i would like to take chance on is Wr Jackson from App. State. He’s speedy as can be and I think would fit well in Martz system, Plus is a good return guy. While i know we got rossum for that he’s not exactly young guy. Jackson could give him some competition atleast. Maybe like 6th round if he’s there.
Although our O-Line licked nuts last year, we have to draft a wide-out with our first round pick. We haven’t had a 1,000 WR since Terrell Owens and Mike Martz is calling the shots. However, I don’t know if i’m completely sold on James Hardy. He did run a decent 40 at the combine, but Hardy reminds me of Mike Williams.
Mike Williams has no work ethic at all case in point to why he hasn’t been able to play on any team so far that has given him a chance. Not to mention Williams tried to do that whole I am good enough to come out after soph year and then sit out a year b/c well I was stupid instead of just sucking it up and playing one more year of college ball. Even in college people compared him to a poor man’s keyshawn johnson. SO just dont see hardy to williams comparison
I don’t know if i would compare the 2 of them. Really don’t know how your seeing that one but everyone has own views of things.
However i do not think it is a Def we draft a WR in first round. Just b/c draft in first doesn’t mean they will be good. Hell don’t even need to go back really far to prove that just ask Rashaun Woods. We really needed a WR drafted him and BUST. I think we draft a WR in first if one of top tackles doesn’t fall to us. AND if his talent is worthy of the pick. I don’t see nolan an McCouglan reaching for a wr when there is a lot of depth at that position this year. And could get solid WR in 2nd since one will probably slip through the cracks to us there. Maybe someone like Thomas from MSU. who is underrated and really needed that extra year in school to pick up his stock. Or even Hawkins from Cal. who’s stock is on a huge rise and reminds some of a young tory holt type.
Also think about a guard with one of our earlier picks since we have no depth there at all.
The best draft possibly ever….if the first 2 fall on draft day which many say could happen due to Jackson’s lack of size and groves lack of consistancy during games which singletary could easily turn around
1 Desean Jackson WR
2 Quentin Groves OLB
3 Trevor Laws NT
4 Marcus Griffin FS
5 Will Franklin WR
6 OT
7 OG
Regardless, I think IF Hardy and Groves are still available at a certain position in the draft then they are going to make a move to acquire both. IF they were to acquire both Hardy and Groves then they would put less heat on Nolan because he addressed two major issues in the draft. The niners will just wait to see if the price is right……McCloughan isn’t an idiot. I would like to have both players, but they won’t unless they believe that they won’t get screwed out of the deal and it is worth the price.
Samra once again I love your draft, only problem I don’t think Laws is there the second round I think Athya Rubin should go there that would be a great draft!!!
I’m kinda just quoting Mayock here, but he doesn’t feel that there is a single WR that deserves a first round grade. Now there are only about twenty players every year that get one so that isn’t to say that there won’t be any taken, but I also don’t think there is a chance in hell that there are five or six taken before our second pick. If you look at the WR position, there is Malcolm Kelly, Desean Jackson, Limas Sweed, Early Doucet (god I hope we don’t get him), James Hardy, Mario Manningham, Devin Thomas, and Andre Caldwell. Andre Caldwell is the bottom of the barrel on that list and I’ve seen his ratings as high as second round. That is eight receivers. The most I can remember being taken in the first was 6 a few years ago, and that was the strength of the class. We have the 38th pick in round two, I seriously doubt that a guy like Sweed, Thomas, or Hardy doesn’t slip to us. I don’t think any of the receivers in this class will provide instant number 1 production, so none of them would be able to save Nolan’s job. What would save Nolan’s job is winning the division (or at least a wild card), and I think the way we do that is getting Gore back on track, using our mediocre WR’s do supply relief, and to punish the weak NFC west offenses with a strong D. I say we take a second round receiver at the highest and hope that he can be a Steve Smith (Giants Smith, not Carolina) and come up big when necessary.
Also, guys like Adarious Bowman who people on this sight, including me, were really high on have slipped and will be available in possibly the fourth round, so if a Trevor Laws is still there or a Quentin Groves, we can run to the podium without worrying too much.
The niners are in a good spot in round 1 slash 2. Because the two picks are so close together we have a good opportunity to get a feel for how players are coming off of the board and take the player that wouldn’t make it to round two. I’m not going to lie I think this could be the best draft the niners have had in a while, because there is a lot of talent on the back end.
i say we get a pass rusher round one and take WR round two and OL three and four and d line in the fifth wr in the sixith and seventh round pick a wild card pick CB or FS
I think we need a WR more then a DE and I think Desean Jackson is there at 29 we should take him he’s perfect and a KR!!!
We need either an OL or WR and Desean Jackson is not the best fit. He’s only 5′ 9″ and 170 lbs. He is a nice pick up if he were available in the later rounds, but someone will get him before us probably anyway. No way we use a 1st rounder on him.
I still think James Hardy is the guy or one of the OL available late in the 1st round. We need a big, fast playmeker and I’d rather get Malcom Kelly, Limas Sweed, or James Hardy. My guess is the first 2 guys will be gone by our pick. Hardy is 6′ 7″ and runs a 4.4 40 yard dash. He’s a bit raw, but agreesive at going after the football and can develop as a better route runner.
I think we take an OL in the early part of the 2nd round.
Actually don’t think Jackson will be there with our pick. Even though his stock has taken a little bit of a hit due to his height being on the short side. However I think he is actually a good fit for the system we will now be running. Martz runs more of a spread offense which uses shorter and faster WR. While I don’t think he has #1 potential I think he would fit perfectly in system. Now we all want a tall WR but figure on unless one of big 3 fall getting a wr 6′ – 5′ 10 range. Just short and quick playmaker with ball. Thats what martz likes. If you look at his history Johnson last year at 6′4 was tallest WR he has ever drafted.
Out of the 3 WR you have that you would want. Kelly no way falls that far and is probably first wide out taken. Sweed could b/c of his wrist fall but just don’t see that happening. Hardy should be there but again with his size some team may be willing to take him before us just b/c of that. Regardless of past off field history.
I still think if one of top Tackles falls to us thats the pick. and even Albert the guard from virginia could be pick if he’s there. We didn’t touch oline at all in free agency so I have to believe that we will take atleast one tackle and one guard at some points in draft.
out of our 7 picks im thinking a breakdown of 2 oline. 2 wr. 1 dt/nt. 1 cb. 1 fs.
Apparently McCloughan was at Auburns pro day to check out OLB Groves.
http://www.fantasyplayers.com/nfl/HotOffTheWireStory.asp?NOTE_ID=455571
I don’t think we spend a pick on a FS, the coaches really did like Goldston, and we also have Keith Lewis as a reserve safety. I don’t think the niners will carry 5 safeties, CB is a big option early on though, possibly even in the first if somehow McKelvin or DRC drops, and Groves or any of the top tackles are gone.
Do any of you guys know if we might get any Compensatory Picks this year.
I don’t think we have any comp picks coming this year as we did in previous years but I am not 100% sure on that.
Goldston i liked last year when we drafted him but don’t know about yet as far as if he is starter material or backup material and roman is decent but nothing special. Just think it may be a possiblity to draft one. If anything else its more competition.
Now this is me personally I think to many people OVER rate keith lewis. He’s a good special teams guy and a hard hitter but is not good in coverage.
Personally i would like to go after like a Corey Lynch FS from APP. State. If he’s there in 7th. Is good in coverage and solid tackler also a good blitzer and good against the run. Excellent special teams player. Only thing he lacks is top end speed as he usually runs around a 4.5-4.6 range.
Could be there in 7th round for us. Just thinking an option and if anything he could push some of the players we have on the team now.
If its a seventh then I’m all for it. I agree with you that Keith Lewis is overrated, but he plays his heart out and when he gets opportunities on defense he usually plays well. I think he is a pretty solid back up and one of the best special teamers in the league.
Have you all noticed that ever since T.O. left we had problems at WR? Now the question is dont you wish you still had him?
I’m not talking spending anything more then a 6th or 7th on a FS. Don’t need one that bad and there really is no top flight one in this years draft class. Phillips from Miami is best in the class and I think he is overrated.
While Lewis does play his heart out Just think if you can improve on even your backups you go for it. Or at the very least push them enough so they continue to play there best instead of settling and realizing that they are on the team b/c of what they are. I am all for competition for spots.
AND to Gomez no i don’t wish we still had T.O. You think with all the QB issues we’ve had that he would be happy here. He complained so much before. He’d be even worse especially with team losing too. His attitude sucked and don’t need a team to have that b/c you will learn how bad a crappy attitude can spread to some of the younger guys. NO THANK YOU.