Niner News Thread
- Thread starter Chree
- Start date
Niners' Nolan knows patience is running out
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsess...0d5d8075959f&template=with-video&confirm=true
Mike Nolan's 49ers must improve from a disappointing 5-11 finish in 2007.
When a rebuilding job commences there are few immediate expectations and progress is generally measured by increased competitiveness as opposed to strictly wins and losses.
That was the situation when 49ers coach Mike Nolan began his tenure in 2005.
Unlike his predecessors, Dennis Erickson (who took over a 10-6 squad that had just won the NFC West and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs), Steve Mariucci (who assumed control of a 12-4 team that had lost in the divisional round of the playoffs) and George Siefert (who grabbed the reigns of a championship team that had just won Super Bowl XXIII ), Nolan inherited a losing team with no real promise for the future.
The 49ers were coming off a 2-14 season and had a dearth of young talent. A string of unproductive drafts had left the personnel cupboard bare and Nolan faced an arduous task in trying to restore the 49ers to their previous glory.
"There was a lot of very poor drafts. As of right now, I don't believe we have one first-rounder on our team from prior to three years ago," Nolan said. "So from our standpoint the unfortunate thing is that we've had to make up some ground."
With so much work to do, Nolan focused on securing the quarterback position first. He selected Alex Smith with the first overall pick in the 2005 draft.
He then focused on filling in many of the team's other holes by using 10 more draft choices in 2005. Among the players he took were RB Frank Gore, OT Adam Snyder and OG David Baas, all who wound up being main contributors.
With so many rookies playing key roles, that first season was predictably rough. The 49ers started out 2-12, while Smith struggled to pick up the offense. The season ended on a high note, however, as the team won twice to close out the year.
While the team's 4-12 record was nothing to brag about, the squad was competitive -- progress for a club still squarely in the rebuilding phase.
After another solid draft in 2006 that brought in players such as TE Vernon Davis, LB Manny Lawson and WR Michael Robinson, Nolan appeared to have his club headed in the right direction.
Smith blossomed under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Gore became one of the best rushers in the league and the 49ers enjoyed a marked improvement from Nolan's first season, going 7-9 and sweeping the NFC West champion Seahawks.
The franchise was in transition from rebuilding to contending and it could not have happened at a better time. After having had to "wait two years really to do anything (in free agency), because our cap situation was so bad," Nolan and the 49ers finally had room to operate and improve the roster.
They signed veteran CB Nate Clements to a record contract and brought in players such as LB Tully Banta-Cain and S Michael Lewis. Throw in the acquisition of highly regarded first-round picks LB Patrick Willis and OT Joe Staley and the 49ers looked like they had arrived.
Simply becoming more competitive was no longer acceptable. The team now had to win.
And in the first two games of the year, they did just that, beating division rivals Arizona and St. Louis. Then the bottom fell out.
Smith regressed without Turner coordinating the offense (Turner left in the offseason to take the Chargers head coaching job) and the woeful offensive production dragged down an improving defense led by Clements and Willis. By the time Smith's year ended with a shoulder injury, the team was 2-7 and the season was lost.
That put the pressure squarely on Nolan. The franchise was no longer rebuilding and a 5-11 record was no longer acceptable.
There was rampant speculation that Nolan's job could be in jeopardy.
Instead, owner John York responded to the disappointing year by keeping Nolan as coach, but promoting Scot McCloughan to general manager and giving him final say on personnel matters -- a power formerly possessed by Nolan.
Nolan knows, though, that another 5-11 season and he will likely lose more than just personnel control.
"We gotta win this year," said Nolan. "I'm not going to hide behind anything else, we do. We have to win."
Nolan believes they will win with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz and offensive free-agent additions WR Isaac Bruce, WR Bryant Johnson and RB DeShaun Foster bolstering the offense.
But he also knows if he's wrong, another rebuilding project may soon get underway in San Francisco, and he won't be the one in charge.
"In today's NFL it's what have you done for me lately."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsess...0d5d8075959f&template=with-video&confirm=true
Mike Nolan's 49ers must improve from a disappointing 5-11 finish in 2007.
When a rebuilding job commences there are few immediate expectations and progress is generally measured by increased competitiveness as opposed to strictly wins and losses.
That was the situation when 49ers coach Mike Nolan began his tenure in 2005.
Unlike his predecessors, Dennis Erickson (who took over a 10-6 squad that had just won the NFC West and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs), Steve Mariucci (who assumed control of a 12-4 team that had lost in the divisional round of the playoffs) and George Siefert (who grabbed the reigns of a championship team that had just won Super Bowl XXIII ), Nolan inherited a losing team with no real promise for the future.
The 49ers were coming off a 2-14 season and had a dearth of young talent. A string of unproductive drafts had left the personnel cupboard bare and Nolan faced an arduous task in trying to restore the 49ers to their previous glory.
"There was a lot of very poor drafts. As of right now, I don't believe we have one first-rounder on our team from prior to three years ago," Nolan said. "So from our standpoint the unfortunate thing is that we've had to make up some ground."
With so much work to do, Nolan focused on securing the quarterback position first. He selected Alex Smith with the first overall pick in the 2005 draft.
He then focused on filling in many of the team's other holes by using 10 more draft choices in 2005. Among the players he took were RB Frank Gore, OT Adam Snyder and OG David Baas, all who wound up being main contributors.
With so many rookies playing key roles, that first season was predictably rough. The 49ers started out 2-12, while Smith struggled to pick up the offense. The season ended on a high note, however, as the team won twice to close out the year.
While the team's 4-12 record was nothing to brag about, the squad was competitive -- progress for a club still squarely in the rebuilding phase.
After another solid draft in 2006 that brought in players such as TE Vernon Davis, LB Manny Lawson and WR Michael Robinson, Nolan appeared to have his club headed in the right direction.
Smith blossomed under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Gore became one of the best rushers in the league and the 49ers enjoyed a marked improvement from Nolan's first season, going 7-9 and sweeping the NFC West champion Seahawks.
The franchise was in transition from rebuilding to contending and it could not have happened at a better time. After having had to "wait two years really to do anything (in free agency), because our cap situation was so bad," Nolan and the 49ers finally had room to operate and improve the roster.
They signed veteran CB Nate Clements to a record contract and brought in players such as LB Tully Banta-Cain and S Michael Lewis. Throw in the acquisition of highly regarded first-round picks LB Patrick Willis and OT Joe Staley and the 49ers looked like they had arrived.
Simply becoming more competitive was no longer acceptable. The team now had to win.
And in the first two games of the year, they did just that, beating division rivals Arizona and St. Louis. Then the bottom fell out.
Smith regressed without Turner coordinating the offense (Turner left in the offseason to take the Chargers head coaching job) and the woeful offensive production dragged down an improving defense led by Clements and Willis. By the time Smith's year ended with a shoulder injury, the team was 2-7 and the season was lost.
That put the pressure squarely on Nolan. The franchise was no longer rebuilding and a 5-11 record was no longer acceptable.
There was rampant speculation that Nolan's job could be in jeopardy.
Instead, owner John York responded to the disappointing year by keeping Nolan as coach, but promoting Scot McCloughan to general manager and giving him final say on personnel matters -- a power formerly possessed by Nolan.
Nolan knows, though, that another 5-11 season and he will likely lose more than just personnel control.
"We gotta win this year," said Nolan. "I'm not going to hide behind anything else, we do. We have to win."
Nolan believes they will win with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz and offensive free-agent additions WR Isaac Bruce, WR Bryant Johnson and RB DeShaun Foster bolstering the offense.
But he also knows if he's wrong, another rebuilding project may soon get underway in San Francisco, and he won't be the one in charge.
"In today's NFL it's what have you done for me lately."
Like Chree said in da other Thread, in this one da OC's have played a big roll how do you expect sumone to be good witout da right OC?
those 3 years hes had
mccarthy, (shitty OC, alex played only a few games)
norvell, (good OC, won 7 games with little help)
Hostler (terrible OC, alex played 3 games healthy, went 2-1)
those 3 years hes had
mccarthy, (shitty OC, alex played only a few games)
norvell, (good OC, won 7 games with little help)
Hostler (terrible OC, alex played 3 games healthy, went 2-1)
Goodell ruling on 49ers tampering charges expected soon
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2176209
Scot McCloughan, Paraag Marathe and Lal Heneghan were in New York a week ago today to defend the 49ers against allegations made by the Chicago Bears that the organization participated in tampering during the season.
The Bears complained to the league that the 49ers began negotiations with linebacker Lance Briggs during the time the club reportedly entered into trade talks. The trade did not happen, the 49ers didn't even make an attempt to sign Briggs once free agency started, and Briggs rejoined the Bears.
But the issue is not dead.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make an official ruling on the subject shortly. The 49ers have a lot to lose - and absolutely nothing to gain.
There is word the 49ers fear they'll lose a mid-round draft pick, though McCloughan is on record as saying there is "nothing" to the allegations.
"I think it's maneuvering by an organization trying to find the best way to keep their guy," McCloughan said on Feb. 28. "From our standpoint, there's nothing to it. It doesn't mean we will or we won't go after him. It's something they (the Bears) put out and we have no comment."
McCloughan is also on record as saying he knows there will be good offensive linemen available to be selected in the first four rounds of the draft. If Goodell decides to strip the 49ers of a fourth-round pick, the 49ers will be prevented from having one more good player the roster in 2008 and beyond.
* * *
The 49ers have a private workout scheduled Tuesday with Cincinnati safety Haruki Nakamura, according to his pro day diary.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2176209
Scot McCloughan, Paraag Marathe and Lal Heneghan were in New York a week ago today to defend the 49ers against allegations made by the Chicago Bears that the organization participated in tampering during the season.
The Bears complained to the league that the 49ers began negotiations with linebacker Lance Briggs during the time the club reportedly entered into trade talks. The trade did not happen, the 49ers didn't even make an attempt to sign Briggs once free agency started, and Briggs rejoined the Bears.
But the issue is not dead.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make an official ruling on the subject shortly. The 49ers have a lot to lose - and absolutely nothing to gain.
There is word the 49ers fear they'll lose a mid-round draft pick, though McCloughan is on record as saying there is "nothing" to the allegations.
"I think it's maneuvering by an organization trying to find the best way to keep their guy," McCloughan said on Feb. 28. "From our standpoint, there's nothing to it. It doesn't mean we will or we won't go after him. It's something they (the Bears) put out and we have no comment."
McCloughan is also on record as saying he knows there will be good offensive linemen available to be selected in the first four rounds of the draft. If Goodell decides to strip the 49ers of a fourth-round pick, the 49ers will be prevented from having one more good player the roster in 2008 and beyond.
* * *
The 49ers have a private workout scheduled Tuesday with Cincinnati safety Haruki Nakamura, according to his pro day diary.
Could Holmgren get a Parcells-like job in San Francisco?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/...lt=AgEgiJ5cU7Ia5IjptCZMAvFDubYF?urn=nfl,73002
Mike Holmgren didn't even want to talk about a new contract to coach the Seattle Seahawks and will be a lame duck this season before he is replaced by Jim Mora in 2009 the New York Daily News reported.
Is he done with the NFL? One source says, "He's enamored with what Parcells is doing in Miami. I can see San Francisco getting to that point."
If Mike Nolan doesn't win this year, he will get fired. He already lost his GM responsibilities. The next step for the Niners is starting over, and although Holmgren didn't distinguish himself as the Seahawks' GM, it might have been because he was coaching, too.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/...lt=AgEgiJ5cU7Ia5IjptCZMAvFDubYF?urn=nfl,73002
Mike Holmgren didn't even want to talk about a new contract to coach the Seattle Seahawks and will be a lame duck this season before he is replaced by Jim Mora in 2009 the New York Daily News reported.
Is he done with the NFL? One source says, "He's enamored with what Parcells is doing in Miami. I can see San Francisco getting to that point."
If Mike Nolan doesn't win this year, he will get fired. He already lost his GM responsibilities. The next step for the Niners is starting over, and although Holmgren didn't distinguish himself as the Seahawks' GM, it might have been because he was coaching, too.
BECAUSE THEY GOT ONE MORE WIN THIS SEASON DUE TO TAMPA RESTING THEIR STARTERS?? NO. THE NINERS ARE NOT LESS GARBAGE THAN THE RAIDERS. THE NINERS OFFENSE WAS DEAD LAST IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE. THEY WERE RARELY, IF EVER COMPETITVE IN ANY GAMES THEY PLAYED. TO BE ALL THE WAY REAL THE NINERS WERE ONE OF THE WORST TEAMS IN THE ENTIRE NFL THIS SEASON.