Tagged: Vernon Davis
NFL (49ers) Off Season: Torrey Smith Headed West??
Let’s be honest: I mostly/primarily/really only care about what we are doing this off-season, so while I may give opinions and comments on what the rest of the League is up to, my focus is on the only team (to me) that matters — my beloved San Francisco 49ers. Tuesday is going to be a wild day, I reckon. It’s a good thing that this week is Spring Break and probably pretty quiet, because I’ll be checking updates like a man with a problem.
Interesting. *IF* this pans out, I’m quite intrigued. Last year, our passing threat was really only Anquan “Grown Man” Boldin. As far as I’m concerned, Vernon quit on us — maybe he was injured (again) but he certainly wasn’t giving 100% effort when he was on the field, and he wasn’t a reliable target; Crabtree also struggled and didn’t perform as we had anticipated; McDonald/Celek/Carrier failed to shine (hence, why I think Baalke made the guarantee that Davis would be back — I reckon, had either of those guys looked like someone who could step into the starting role, that Davis would be traded by now, without question); and Stevie Johnson didn’t see as much action, as the least experienced in the system.
I know that Anquan “Grown Man” Boldin is going to do his job — I’m not worried there; the man’s a warrior — however, *if* it’s true that Vernon is a new-man and ready to play hard… AND, now, with a full year and off-season getting Stevie Johnson more in sync with Kaepernick…. AND we get Torrey Smith who can stretch the field deep??? It could be a HUGE development for us. The only potential downside (right now, that I see) is that it would further delay the development of Patton and Ellington. Having three veteran WRs at a higher pay-grade on roster, unless they get outworked this summer, they are going to get the bulk of the playing time. And, with the signing of Jarryd Hayne (for the purpose of the return game, I imagine) that makes Ellington – in particular – on the edge of redundancy.
One of the downsides of our past few seasons, offensively, is that almost EVERY play that our offense ran was, by and large, capped at 15-20yds….maybe even 10-15yds. We had solid/reliable inside receivers, but not much in the way of speed or a deep threat. However, now, if we can have the Smiths (Stevie and Torrey) on the outside — Stevie doing the mid-range/side line work; Torrey on the deep ball — with Anquan “Grown Man” Boldin and Davis attacking the middle, we accomplish a few big things:
1– Give Kaepernick more options; in addition, veteran/experienced options.
2–Expand opposing secondaries, as they no longer could just contain 1-2 receivers 10-15yds from the line of scrimmage.
3–Ease pressure on the running game — if we are able to keep the secondary back, I think that our offensive line is good enough to make lanes, and I think that Hyde/Hunter are good enough to gain yards. Neither are probably as good at finding holes as Gore, so I don’t know if they’d break off BIG gains, but as long as they’re good for a handful when we need them, that is HUGE. Losing Gore will be tough but I think it’s still a talented backfield, and, who knows?, maybe we’ll add another RB in the Draft — as insurance.
Oh, not to mention that Baalke/York had said, prior, that they’re taking Kaepernick off the leash — which is a good sign. The thing that annoyed me about last year is that there were many times where Kaepernick held off running in order to throw — which led to either a) high-risk passes, b) incompletions, or c) getting caught by defenders for either a sack or minimal gain. If they’re taking him off the leash, though, then I’m thinking that we’ll see him get out of the pocket and, if daylight is there, taking off. Seattle’s defenders had said (in that NFC Championship Game) that tackling him was deceivingly difficult. I think it would be even more difficult if, as a defender, you are have your back to him and are giving him a 20yd cushion because you have to respect Torrey Smith and the deep ball — after all, Kaepernick has the arm (and accuracy) to hit the deep ball: he just hasn’t had the talent in the WR position to make it work.
I know that I said a lot of the same things when we drafted LaMichael James a few years back (I figured we’d use him like a Darren Sproles-type, into the flat against a OLB or Safety), and that didn’t pan out…..at all…..as Roman instead tried using him between the tackles, which was just bizarre, before trying to make him a return specialist….which also didn’t work….before ultimately releasing him after he became a distraction. So, my visions haven’t always worked out — BUT I think that, if we do land Torrey Smith, there is only one reason we would be pursuing him: utilization of his speed and deep-ball abilities. Especially, since it’s unlikely we’ll have a shot at any of the premiere deep threat WRs in the Draft. #GoNiners
Update: Vernon Davis Hold Out
Reportedly, Vernon Davis doesn’t seem to optimistic or disgruntled about the whole new-deal-contract situation, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, stating that he “won’t lose sleep” over it — which is good to hear. I had written my initial thoughts about his hold out a few weeks ago, and with this more recent update, I will now update my opinions based upon what I have read.
What I Think This Means for 2014 & Summer 2015:
As I had suspected (and hoped), I think that this means that Vernon will not sit out late summer activities, the pre-season, or regular season games in search of a new deal. I haven’t heard his full interview, but, from what I’m gathering, he seems to understand that he doesn’t have a lot of leverage right now and so, if it happens it will be great, but he doesn’t seem willing to hurt himself or the team in order to pout for more money. Which is good.
Again, I don’t fault him for wanting more money — it is wholly his right to ask for more money when he believes that he deserves it (which I think that he does); however, we aren’t obliged to honor the request, and I don’t think that we are going to renegotiate a new deal for him right now, because it would set an undesirable precedent in the locker room, I reckon. Furthermore, I don’t think that he’d find much support in the NFLPA ranks or amongst the general public, simply because he willfully signed a 6-year deal in his prime, so he had to have known that he was going to limit his opportunities for another big contract, of which he still has 2 yrs remaining.
Similarly, he doesn’t have the leverage that Jimmy Graham has because, while even though I don’t agree with the stats-obsessing sometimes, he doesn’t have the offensive production that Jimmy Graham, Jason Witten, or Gronkowski have to where those guys can make a case for themselves as either a) a big part of the offensive – by citing their statistics; or b) wanting to be classified as a WR instead of a TE, in order to get a higher pay scale. Vernon doesn’t have that leverage, even though he is a true TE who is GREAT in pass protection and blocking schemes, who can then also sneak out into the open and be a receiver.
HOWEVER, I think that the way that our offense is shaping up, he could be primed for a big production year that can get him more money next summer.
Now, a lot of this has to do with the health and production of our WR corps, of which I am optimistic but can’t outright say, confidently, that they will live up to their potential. Time will tell. HOWEVER, if our WR corps remain healthy and productive, this could translate into a HUGE year for Vernon Davis.
What has held Vernon back (for lack of better word) is that he has been a primary target in our passing game for the past few years, which means he has had to be covered by opposing defense’s top players. I don’t think that will be the case this year. If defensive secondaries are having to account for Anquan “Grown Man” Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, and then a speedy threat combo of Patton/Ellington, I think that our offense can, and will, spread the field and spread out the defense. That means that there could be a lot of open space for Vernon to exploit and that he no longer gets covered by a CB or Safety — he’s going to get covered by a LB….. and he can beat any and all LBs in the open field. I guarantee that.
I don’t know what will happen this coming season, but — on paper — our offense is primed for a big year. *IF* everyone can stay healthy and our offensive line maintains the same high-quality production, then we could be a very dangerous offense to go up against. We have a stable of good RBs in Gore, Hunter, Lattimore/Hyde, and maybe even James; the aforementioned WR corps; Kaepernick’s multi-threat abilities; and then Vernon Davis, too?? Even in the NFC, and specifically the West, where defenses reign supreme, that is a formidable offense to try and defend.
If our WRs can perform at the level that we expect them to, and Kaepernick continues his growth at the QB position, Vernon Davis could see a lot of passes this season, simply by virtue that secondaries have to focus on the WRs now, with Davis no longer being our automatic 1st-2nd option. He could have a big year and get some more money the way that, I believe, he really wants to get more money: through his play and not through sitting out. #GoNiners
-Ryan.
My Thoughts: Vernon Davis Hold Out
With the latest report that VD is planning on holding out through mini-camp this week, there’s a lot of expected reaction from the Internet community — where some of the darkest voices in existence tend to hang out.
Personally, I am okay with him holding out because I understand what he is trying to do: it’s a business and he’s trying to make the most of this opportunity (playing in the NFL) while he can. More power to you because, he’s right, the moment that he’s not “valuable” anymore, he will be cut and that will be the end of that. He’ll likely get into the 49ers Hall of Fame, so we’ll see him at a half-time ceremony, but, with athletes, once they are gone, they are usually gone for good — in terms of the public consciousnesses. So I understand what he is trying to do and so I won’t blast him for it.
And, I think that he is starting to break-down, so I can sense the urgency on his end to get as much cash as he can right now. I think that in the past two seasons he has suffered 4-5 concussions and a groin injury, and, in the ultra-physical NFC West and being an over-the-middle player, I think that he is anticipating that the final 2yrs of his current contract are going to wear him down. The man is 30yrs old, after all.
By all accounts, he’s a great presence and great veteran to have in the locker room, and he also does a lot of great things in the community (from what I have seen on social media), and I don’t think he gets into trouble off the field — which is something that our roster has had some issues with in the recent past. So, that’s another reason why I could see us wanting to do what we can to keep him happy and on the field: he produces, he does his job (and at a very high level), and he doesn’t cause the organization any problems.
Furthermore, I don’t know how much more he is seeking but there are a lot of people (and some “fans”) that are blasting him because he doesn’t “deserve” to be paid like Jimmy Graham or Gronk, which I wholly disagree with. This is why I don’t play “fantasy” sports — people get way too caught up in statistics and then overvalue a player. Is Graham a great TE? I don’t think so. He’s a great WR…..who lines up as a TE. He’s not that great at blocking or pass protection. Meanwhile, VD can do it all. I think that he is the best all-around TE in the League.
And, while, sure, VD has missed some games the past couple of seasons due to injury, he’s much more durable and reliable than Gronk is; so I’d pay him more for that purpose. I would pick him over Gronk any day. I was listening to Dave Dameshek’s Football Program where they were discussing Gronk and comparing him to a fruit: the plum – because when he’s fresh, he is sweet and amazing…..but he’s only fresh for a brief amount of time. So, I can see why VD and his camp are wanting to get more value out of us because he is really valuable to us.
Ultimately, though, I think that this is just going to get him out of mini-camps and I’ll be surprised if he sits out into the season or if we cave and give him a new contract.
First of all, he’s got 2yrs left on his deal and I don’t think he would sit out and miss games because it lowers his value, I would think. I mean, from a PR point, it makes him look bad if he’s missing games because he wants a new contract with 2 full seasons left on his current one. Sure, maybe he sits out and our offense falls apart, so we can see how important he is, thus triggering the paycheck to get him back on the field. Maybe. Although, he picked a bad time to hold out because we upgraded our receivers and Kaepernick, for whatever reason (and often times that annoys me) doesn’t look for VD as much as Alex Smith did. Kaepernick is big on Crabtree and Boldin. Now, with Stevie Johnson, Patton, and other options at WR, theoretically, we could groom McDonald and another TE to be more blocking-first style of TE and then let Kaepernick throw to the WRs and make plays with his legs. We have options on offense, right now, which is not a luxury that we had in the past few years. So, I don’t think that VD has much leverage in holding out. We may struggle offensively but I think that we could still win games, whereas he loses money and League respect.
Secondly, I’d be surprised if we caved and renegotiated right now because he still has 2yrs left on his deal, and it would make for a really tough precedent that, certainly, others would duplicate when nearing the end of their deals. Coming fresh off of Kaepernick’s super team-friendly deal, I would be VERY surprised if the powers above decided to renew VD’s contract right now under the threat of holding out. I’d be very surprised.
What We Should/Could Do
Even though I think that VD is just going to take the summer off and then come back for the regular season (which is not something that I’m too upset about — our offense hasn’t changed, he’s a veteran who has been through it all before — so I’d rather him stay fresh for the regular season anyways), for the sake of argument, I’m going to operate under the thought that he is willing to hold out until he gets paid; even if that means not playing for the next 2 seasons.
I doubt that we’d be able to replicate all that VD does for us — especially in the blocking department — but I have some thoughts as to what we should/could do to prepare for a season without VD.
I’m not the first to suggest this but I do strongly advocate it — whether not VD holds out this season, actually; I think it would be worth the experiment. JON BALDWIN as a TE.
We swapped AJ Jenkins for him last year and he didn’t really do a whole lot for us — except cost a challenge and a time out during the Saints game, when he argued vehemently that his would-be TD catch was good (it wasn’t) and so Harbaugh challenged the call…. it was confirmed — but I think that we should give him a look as TE. Why not?
His size compares quite nicely to VD — 6’4″ 230 to VD’s 6’3″ 250 — as well as his hands and speed. From what I recall, it was Baldwin’s inability to run crisp routes or struggling to learn our routes that kept him out of games for most of last season (granted, he was a late acquisition, whereas now he has been with us for most of the year). However, by eliminating that route-focused running that WRs need to be able to do, he may be perfect as a short-yardage TE; the big target that either sits down in the defensive zone, or streaks straight down the seam. He may be really good at that.
The blocking part is what I’m not too sure about. McDonald struggled last year in blocking assignments, when VD was injured, and so I’m not sure how quickly this can be picked up. However, McDonald was also a rookie and so part of that may have been adjusting to the speed of the NFL from college — whereas Baldwin has been in the League for a few seasons now, I don’t think he would have that same struggle.
PLUS, if we plan for this now (in mid-June) he could, potentially, be up and running for the season. With the addition of Stevie Johnson, Lloyd (who I’m not sure will make the team), our draft picks, and, of course, Anquan Grown Man Boldin, Crabtree, and Patton… I think that it is slim that Baldwin makes the team as a WR. However, due to his size and speed, I think that he could be transformed into a TE. It’s worth a shot, at least.
*IF* it worked out and Jon Baldwin was able to develop the blocking skills, then he and Vance McDonald could make a pretty solid TE-tandem. They’re both about the same size, with similar skill sets, both 24, and so — IF it worked out — we could be setting ourselves up to have a dual-TE set in place for the next handful of years.
While it is highly unlikely that anyone in the organization reads this but I hope that we look into the potential of Jon Baldwin to step in at TE if VD does, indeed, decide to hold out into July/August or even into the start of the season. Those are my thoughts.
-Ryan.
The Peanut Gallery 