themurf Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (photo by Brian Murphy) Hello friends. Sorry for the lack of posts over the last week, but I was out of town and had very little access to the internet. On the plus side though, I had the pleasure of spending a week out in San Francisco and was more than happy to enjoy a week of fantastic weather and playoff football. While much of the east coast was stuck dealing with cold and rainy weather, I was loving life while rocking short sleeves as the temperature never dipped below 60 degrees. If that wasn’t enough, I was also fortunate enough to be in a city that was absolutely ecstatic over hosting a playoff game. Considering how rare home playoff games are here locally, it was a sight for sore eyes to see everyone wearing their favorite jerseys, etc. in the days leading up to the San Francisco 49ers hosting the New Orleans Saints. Although I had little rooting interest in the 49ers prior to the Saints game, it was nearly impossible to not get caught up in the sense of pride shown by seemingly everyone I ran into. And the more I looked into the 49ers, the easier it was to get behind the team as it is presently constructed. Seriously Redskins fans, take a quick look at San Francisco’s roster and try not to start weeping. After watching Washington’s front office ignore the NFL Draft for more than a decade, it’s tough to see a team like the 49ers that was clearly built by drafting a developing young talent. Since 2005, the 49ers have drafted a mind-numbing 60 players. The Redskins, conversely, had selected just 51 – and that number is inflating because last year’s 12-man draft class. San Francisco’s smallest draft class during the last seven years was in 2008, when the team selected just six players. And yet, all six players are still in the NFL. Washington’s smallest draft day haul came in 2007, and only safety LaRon Landry (who a large chunk of Redskins fans are done with) is the sole remaining player of the five guys drafted. Taking a step back, it’s even tougher when you realize how many of their core players came via the draft. Quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore both came via the 2005 Draft. Tight end Vernon Davis was the team’s top pick in ’06. Pro Bowlers Patrick Willis (middle linebacker) and Joe Staley (left tackle) were San Francisco’s top two picks in 2007. The 49ers’ top receiver, Michael Crabtree (2009), starting right tackle, Anthony Davis (2010) and best pass rusher, Aldon Smith (2011) represent San Francisco’s first-round picks over the last three seasons. In short, this team does as well as anyone when it comes to identifying young talent – especially in the first round. Sprinkle in a few smart free agent signings like defensive lineman Justin Smith, kicker David Akers and cornerback Carlos Rogers and San Francisco has got a roster as deep as any in football.* *In related news, the 49ers have eight players who were voted to the Pro Bowl. No team in the NFL had more. This is why a first-time head coach was able to walk in the door and immediately find success. This is how a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2002 suddenly gets it all together and goes 13-3. But what I love most about the 49ers is that in the day and age of pass-happy offenses, they’re still a throwback to yesterday’s NFL. This team was built to run the ball and stop opponents from running the ball. Head coach Jim Harbaugh knows he doesn’t have the best quarterback in the league, but he’s confident that Smith can do well enough in his system to get the job done while Gore and the defense typically do the heavy lifting. And if Smith has a career day, like he did against the Saints last week, then that’s an added bonus. But a top-ranked defense and a strong ground game ensure that the 49ers are in each and every game they take the field for. Seeing the Redskins’ front office do so well last offseason – with a very successful 2011 draft and savvy free agent signings of under-the-radar players like Barry Cofield, Stephen Bowen and Chris Chester – gives reason for hope that this is a new day at Redskins Park. Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers aren't a bad team to mirror ourselves after. Lot of hard working under the radar guys. I mean besides Smith, Davis, Gore, Smith, Smith, Smith, Rogers, and Crabtree, I bet most people don't know many of their players. They aren't a team made up of superstars. It also goes to show that a team can have a quick turn around. So maybe we can be next year's 49ers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers aren't a bad team to mirror ourselves after. Lot of hard working under the radar guys. I mean besides Smith, Davis, Gore, Smith, Smith, Smith, Rogers, and Crabtree, I bet most people don't know many of their players. They aren't a team made up of superstars. It also goes to show that a team can have a quick turn around. So maybe we can be next year's 49ers? Yeah, but their turnaround was possible because of years of strong drafting. The foundation was there, they just needed a head coach who could maximize the talent. When Mike Shanahan got here, he took over a franchise that was run into the ground by Jim Zorn and Vinny Cerrato. Slightly different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 That maybe we should have stuck with Campbell than going with the shiny that was McNabb? I do see what you mean, and I think one of the big reasons why they have had success is that despite the coaching turnover, they actually have had a lot of consistancy on defense with Nolan and Singletary. So, no major overhaul there. They also, despite all the OCs they have had, didn't have a talent purge. Which means they wanted coaches who were compatible with the players they had on the roster. The problem here, as always, is not going a couple of years without massive upheaval of the roster. That needs to stop at some point if we ever are going to build anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yeah, but their turnaround was possible because of years of strong drafting. The foundation was there, they just needed a head coach who could maximize the talent. When Mike Shanahan got here, he took over a franchise that was run into the ground by Jim Zorn and Vinny Cerrato. Slightly different story. True, but we have drafted better since Shanny has been here IMO. Last year was easily the best draft we've had in 10 years. I think with the right FA signings and another solid draft, we could compete next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLSkins Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hopefully Shanahan is not the coach who is forced to hand over the keys to the Ferrari being built. Great read as usual, thanks./ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 True, but we have drafted better since Shanny has been here IMO. Last year was easily the best draft we've had in 10 years. I think with the right FA signings and another solid draft, we could compete next year. Yep. These are all things I said in the original post. ---------- Post added January-18th-2012 at 10:03 AM ---------- That maybe we should have stuck with Campbell than going with the shiny that was McNabb? I do see what you mean, and I think one of the big reasons why they have had success is that despite the coaching turnover, they actually have had a lot of consistancy on defense with Nolan and Singletary. So, no major overhaul there. They also, despite all the OCs they have had, didn't have a talent purge. Which means they wanted coaches who were compatible with the players they had on the roster. The problem here, as always, is not going a couple of years without massive upheaval of the roster. That needs to stop at some point if we ever are going to build anything. I do believe keeping Jason Campbell and building around him would have been worth the effort -- especially when you have the advantage of hindsight to see how badly the McNabb experiment ended. Keeping those extra draft picks and working with Campbell could definitely have accelerated the process. The website Mr. Irrelevant actually wrote about that the other day in a post I enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jericho Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers (and Harbaugh) have done an amazing job. And they managed to get a decent season out of Alex Smith too (who really wasn't asked to be more than a game manager). That said, for as amazing a job the 49ers did, I still think their ceiling is limited. They should have lost last week to the Saints. Let's be fair. While the 49ers played really well, the Saints turned the ball over 5 times. They were -4 (and really -5 since the one turnover they got was right at the end of the half) and nearly won a playoff game. That should never happen. While part of the Saints poor play is due to the 49ers. Part of it is just dumb luck. Play that game 100 more times and I don't see the Saints turning the ball over that many times again. And if the Saints only turn it over 3 times or less, they win that game. With the lack of offense, the 49ers will always be limited. That said, I suppose its not impossible for the 49ers to win it all. The Giants are wildly inconsistent. And the 49ers could be beat Baltimore (who has their own QB issues) should the Ravens beats the Pats. And maybe Alex Smith plays out of his mind for a game or two. But its still alot of ifs. San Fran had a pretty close to perfect season. They're ridiculously healthy, they played a medicore schedule in a very soft division (and gaining home field advantage was huge over New Orleans), and many players have turned in career years (Alex Smith and Carlos Rodgers to name two). While I praise them and they are well run, I think they won't get over the hump unless Alex Smith becomes very good or someother QB they have does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paloosa Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Yeah, but their turnaround was possible because of years of strong drafting. The foundation was there, they just needed a head coach who could maximize the talent. When Mike Shanahan got here, he took over a franchise that was run into the ground by Jim Zorn and Vinny Cerrato. Slightly different story. Murf I agree with you about Cerrato but I think that Zorn did nothing to run the franchise in the ground. I think he was the guy that was putting his fingers in the holes of the dam but ran out of fingers because of all the holes that were already there. I also agree that the 49ers were only a HC away. Singletary and Nolan aren't exactly the guys that jump out at you when looking for HC to lead a team. All we need is a QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Murf I agree with you about Cerrato but I think that Zorn did nothing to run the franchise in the ground. I think he was the guy that was putting his fingers in the holes of the dam but ran out of fingers because of all the holes that were already there. I also agree that the 49ers were only a HC away. Singletary and Nolan aren't exactly the guys that jump out at you when looking for HC to lead a team. All we need is a QB. When Zorn was hired, he took over a team that had made the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Now keep that in mind when I say the following -- I can't think of a single player on the Redskins roster who is better because Jim Zorn was his head coach. If that's the case, then he was part of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laxpunk2006 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers (and Harbaugh) have done an amazing job. And they managed to get a decent season out of Alex Smith too (who really wasn't asked to be more than a game manager). That said, for as amazing a job the 49ers did, I still think their ceiling is limited. They should have lost last week to the Saints. Let's be fair. While the 49ers played really well, the Saints turned the ball over 5 times. They were -4 (and really -5 since the one turnover they got was right at the end of the half) and nearly won a playoff game. That should never happen. While part of the Saints poor play is due to the 49ers. Part of it is just dumb luck. Play that game 100 more times and I don't see the Saints turning the ball over that many times again. And if the Saints only turn it over 3 times or less, they win that game. With the lack of offense, the 49ers will always be limited. I don't buy into the "_____ should have won, just take away x,y,z" arguments. Yes New Orleans turned the ball over more than we're use to seeing but you have to give the defense credit where credit is due. These weren't botched snaps turning into fumbles they were forced turnovers. If you take away some of those turnovers you better take away a few scores as well because that's the risk you run with a big play offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers are not an overnight success. They are 7 years in rebuilding with 4 failed HC along the way. In addition, it took Jim Harbaugh to make Alex Smith workable. Basically it's ALL about Harbaugh. He made the pieces work. One of the Skins main problems was their reliance on FA never made them suck enough to get that low pick. This year they have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportjunkie07 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 i like a lot of what the 9ers have been doing. theyve been relying on their strong points and have really boosted that defense, it has been phenomenal. im not sure whether harbaugh just got lucky or is one heck of a coach, cuz that team hasnt shown signs of life for some time. but im not so sure their method is sustainable for long. bad games from the qb position will take them down eventually. with the way the nfl is, the best teams year in and out will be those that are efficient passing teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoRUSupposed2Be Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers are not an overnight success. They are 7 years in rebuilding with 4 failed HC along the way. In addition, it took Jim Harbaugh to make Alex Smith workable. Basically it's ALL about Harbaugh. He made the pieces work. One of the Skins main problems was their reliance on FA never made them suck enough to get that low pick. This year they have it. *Applause* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epochalypse Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I agree with TimmySmith that Harbaugh walked into the perfect storm. SF had a lot of down years but it seems they drafted well. It's just culminating now. It's no coincidence that Smith is revitalized having a former QB as his head coach, a head coach who also happens to use more positive reinforcement then Singletary's break-them-down act. Give Harbaugh credit for sure, but he walked into an exponentially better situation then Shanahan did. Consider they are in a weak division, add in a weak NFC East this year, and it all adds up to good times in SF right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsniper1 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Head coach John Harbaugh knows he doesn’t have the best quarterback in the league, but he’s confident that Smith can do well enough in his system to get the job done while Gore and the defense typically do the heavy lifting. I think Jim is the Head Coach in San Fran these days. John is coaching another average QB in Baltimore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tris Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 It also goes to show that a team can have a quick turn around. So maybe we can be next year's 49ers? Absolutely zero about the 49ers turn around was quick. It took years of smart drafting, and smart signings to get to where there are. The biggest fallicy in the world is that the 49ers did this in one year, or that its all about Harbaugh. And if we put it all together next year, it will not be a quick turn around, but the culmination of a deliberate, 3 year rebuild. The big lessons to take away from San Fran are 1) the importance of prioritizing the OL, 2) how to approach FA, 3) the benefits of schematic consistancy and 4) how to maximize the strengthens of your current personnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 When Zorn was hired, he took over a team that had made the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Now keep that in mind when I say the following -- I can't think of a single player on the Redskins roster who is better because Jim Zorn was his head coach. If that's the case, then he was part of the problem. Given that this team was no better when Shanahan took over tells me that Zorn was a lot less of an issue than the talent of this team. Similar to when Gibbs left the first time, they were on a path to crash and burn, and Vinny's two drafts weren't nearly enough to counteract the rot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskindon2 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 True, but we have drafted better since Shanny has been here IMO. Last year was easily the best draft we've had in 10 years. I think with the right FA signings and another solid draft, we could compete next year. I Agree, We get a Franchise QB and sprinkle in other players and FA signings this year and we can compete. Giants were 9-7 and are now in the Championship game. We beat them twice with who we got right now. So I feel we should compete next year with a QB and a few tweaks. This is a make or break year for Shanny and Bruce. I only hope they spend the offseason wisely and have our team ready come camp time!!!! HTTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiro Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Given that this team was no better when Shanahan took over tells me that Zorn was a lot less of an issue than the talent of this team. Similar to when Gibbs left the first time, they were on a path to crash and burn, and Vinny's two drafts weren't nearly enough to counteract the rot. Zorn was definitely not the key issue. In a lot of ways, given the right situation, he probably could have been a decent HC here. Not an elite one, but decent. The ultimate problem was how the team was built, and the truly dysfunctional front office we had. Gibbs gave us a few enjoyable years, but he left this team as one built like a house of cards. Given that Vinny was essentially more of the same in terms of evaluating talent, picking players and building a team, you have a problem that was in a lot of ways the opposite of what the 49ers had. Their former GM, Trent Baalke, did an outstanding job of building that team in every respect except for the QB selection. Not pinning the blame on Alex Smith, given that he probably had the worst situation for any young QB in the league, but it's obvious he wasn't worth the #1 overall pick. The 49ers did make up for that by picking a head coach who A) believes in Alex and was able to design an offense that would maximize his abilities. The 49ers are talented enough that they're able to get by with a QB like Alex Smith, who has only been asked on occasion to carry the team. Looking back, some of the moves Shanahan made in his first off season were a mistake. But if the path we took last off-season continues, we could be at the level of the 49ers in about 2 years. The process could be accelerated if we manage to pick up a blue chip QB in this draft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jservs7 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 It seems like every year for the past 20 years there's been "The Redskins can learn a lot from (insert team here)" articles and threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Given that this team was no better when Shanahan took over tells me that Zorn was a lot less of an issue than the talent of this team. Similar to when Gibbs left the first time, they were on a path to crash and burn, and Vinny's two drafts weren't nearly enough to counteract the rot. Again, Zorn took over a team good enough to make the playoffs in two of the last three years and ran it into the ground. Shanahan showed up and immediately realized that a complete overhaul of the NFL's oldest team was in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins island connection Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Technically, I believe we are alot like the 49ers, or the 49ers are alot like us. Here's why. 1. Both have defenses which are strong; minus 2, maybe 3 players max, all in the secondary, and bingo. Having a quality DB or safety to go along with the current roster, and we would prob be better than the 49ers, which due to their schedule, was not as strong as some believe. 2. Both have used the draft to their advantage; at least in the last couple of years. I think Mike and Bruce will be as successful in the future frafts, but it does take time. 3. I do not think it is needed to mention the QB issue; not saying Smith is a stud QB, but he doesn't make bone-headed decisions like the one in DC. Take way the stupid thoughtless pics Rex threw, and we would have been in the playoff hunt, if not better. Everything revolves around players and coaches being on the same page. You hear about players always asking questions, wanting to know what to do in certain situations; these are players on the Skins sideline as well, with another exception of a few who can laugh and crack jokes when they just got throttled by a team. These players should either shape up or ship out. Once a QB who will put their skills and quality on the line each and every snap, you will see that the 49ers and the Skins are alot alike, they just had a head start... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spear Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The 49ers will be irrelevant again soon enough. It's what happens to teams that don't have a stud under center. Sustained success will elude them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Tater Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Actually, as far as how we are rebuilding, I think there are more similarities to how the Patriots rebuilt back in 2000. Big difference was that they started with more resources and in found their franchise QB with a flyer pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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