12intheBox
Legend
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- Sep 12, 2013
- Messages
- 10,146
- Name
- Wil Fay
Crabtree to the Bills and Iupati to the Jets may be BS rumors - but I doubt either of them plays in SF
LB Patrick Willis and DT Justin Smith Retire
- Thread starter RamBill
- Start date
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iced
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 6,620
PFT = Profootball TheoriesBernie might argue with that.Btw Florio promotes his site as a "rumors" site. At least he's honest.
jap
Legend
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 6,592
So Justin met GRob and decided he had enough?
Justin: "I'm going downhill performance-wise, and this huge young puppy is only gonna get better. I am one of the strongest guys in the league, and he's already stronger than me! even before his first full NFL off-season. Time to say, 'Sayonara!!!'"
Athos
Legend
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- May 19, 2014
- Messages
- 5,933
Hated watching MU great Justin Smith with the Whiners. Would have liked him more if he wasn't on that team.
But this is another BIG HIT into the Whine-Bag ship.
If this were a game of battleship, they'd have one peg left before being sunk like the bitch they are.
But this is another BIG HIT into the Whine-Bag ship.
If this were a game of battleship, they'd have one peg left before being sunk like the bitch they are.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2013
- Messages
- 1,705
- Name
- Bome
It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch........
"Good Luck" (hawaiian style) from us Rams fans........
"Good Luck" (hawaiian style) from us Rams fans........
PowayRamFan
Hall of Fame
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 2,359
I'm sure as hell not crying in my beer about any of this news, that team will take a major step back in the coming years.
HE WITH HORNS
Hall of Fame
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- Feb 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,996
Oh their window closed after they payed Krap all that money. And now they are trying to back out of that one as well.
mr.stlouis
Legend
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- Sep 7, 2011
- Messages
- 6,454
- Name
- Main Hook
woofwoofmo
65 Toss Power Trap
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- Jan 23, 2014
- Messages
- 598
I for one congratulate Mizzou's Justin Smith on an outstanding career and wish his the best in retirement. A class act that has made Mizzou proud!
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- Apr 18, 2014
- Messages
- 18,666
- Name
- Dave
theramsruleUK
Pro Bowler
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- Oct 21, 2013
- Messages
- 1,079
LosAngelesRams
Hall of Fame
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- Mar 11, 2013
- Messages
- 3,092
Wtf! Patrick retired!? I knew Justin was but not PW. Good for us!
WestCoastRam
Legend
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- Nov 17, 2014
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- 6,254
So freaking happy. Sucks that we aren't better set up to take advantage of their stumble.
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- Jun 24, 2010
- Messages
- 34,845
- Name
- Stu
I wonder how Borland might be exposed without Smith in the middle. I think a lot of his game is not having to stay home in the middle.
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- Messages
- 8,874
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #39
49ers in danger of falling into NFC West basement
By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer
Published: March 9, 2015 at 02:17 p.m.
Updated: March 9, 2015 at 02:35 p.m.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...s-in-danger-of-falling-into-nfc-west-basement
The 49ers were coming off three-consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances last February when the Browns revealed cracks in San Francisco's foundation by making a surprising run at Jim Harbaugh to fill their head-coaching vacancy.
A year later, Harbaugh represents the canary in the coal mine, signaling an immediate evacuation in advance of a collapsing NFC superpower.
Five-time All-Pro Patrick Willis, the league's premier inside linebacker of the last eight years, shocked the NFL community Monday with news of his impending retirement. Veteran defensive end Justin Smith, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2011, is expected to follow suit.
The defections don't end there.
Frank Gore, the face of San Francisco's offense for a decade, is closing in on a contract with the Eagles. Road-grading guard Mike Iupati is also searching for greener pastures, leaving the 49ers without their ground-and-pound identity.
The questions on offense go deeper with the futures of wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson in doubt. General manager Trent Baalke even felt compelled late Sunday night to shoot down rumors that he was shopping alleged franchise quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
In addition to Willis and Smith, the defense has lost pocket-crashing left end Ray McDonald. Veteran outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks is next on the chopping block after losing his job to Aaron Lynch late last season. It's also worth noting that All-Pro inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman hasn't played a down since shredding his knee in the NFC title game two Januaries ago.
The secondary will need more than a tinkering, as 2014 starters Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox are both set to test the open market.
If you're keeping score at home, that is 21 Pro Bowl appearances (Willis 7, Smith 5, Gore 5, Iupati 3, Brooks 1) and as many as 850 NFL starts walking out the door.
Beyond the roster churning, the 49ers have to compensate for a brain drain that includes one of the NFL's best head coaches (Harbaugh), an offensive coordinator hailed as a "genius" two years ago (Greg Roman) and the only coordinator to lead a top-five defense in each of the past four years (Vic Fangio).
Losing a trio of team captains in Smith, Willis and Gore won't help on that front.
Owner Jed York sided with his general manager in a year-long tug of war, placing a higher value on Baalke's player acquisition skills than Harbaugh's coaching ability.
The pressure is on Baalke and hand-picked head coach Jim Tomsula to stay out of the NFC West basement while excavating a roster that Harbaugh led to heights not experienced since the halcyon days of Bill Walsh and George Seifert.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the Brandon Marshall trade and plays another game of "Go Get My Lunch." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer
Published: March 9, 2015 at 02:17 p.m.
Updated: March 9, 2015 at 02:35 p.m.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...s-in-danger-of-falling-into-nfc-west-basement
The 49ers were coming off three-consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances last February when the Browns revealed cracks in San Francisco's foundation by making a surprising run at Jim Harbaugh to fill their head-coaching vacancy.
A year later, Harbaugh represents the canary in the coal mine, signaling an immediate evacuation in advance of a collapsing NFC superpower.
Five-time All-Pro Patrick Willis, the league's premier inside linebacker of the last eight years, shocked the NFL community Monday with news of his impending retirement. Veteran defensive end Justin Smith, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2011, is expected to follow suit.
The defections don't end there.
Frank Gore, the face of San Francisco's offense for a decade, is closing in on a contract with the Eagles. Road-grading guard Mike Iupati is also searching for greener pastures, leaving the 49ers without their ground-and-pound identity.
The questions on offense go deeper with the futures of wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson in doubt. General manager Trent Baalke even felt compelled late Sunday night to shoot down rumors that he was shopping alleged franchise quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
In addition to Willis and Smith, the defense has lost pocket-crashing left end Ray McDonald. Veteran outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks is next on the chopping block after losing his job to Aaron Lynch late last season. It's also worth noting that All-Pro inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman hasn't played a down since shredding his knee in the NFC title game two Januaries ago.
The secondary will need more than a tinkering, as 2014 starters Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox are both set to test the open market.
If you're keeping score at home, that is 21 Pro Bowl appearances (Willis 7, Smith 5, Gore 5, Iupati 3, Brooks 1) and as many as 850 NFL starts walking out the door.
Beyond the roster churning, the 49ers have to compensate for a brain drain that includes one of the NFL's best head coaches (Harbaugh), an offensive coordinator hailed as a "genius" two years ago (Greg Roman) and the only coordinator to lead a top-five defense in each of the past four years (Vic Fangio).
Losing a trio of team captains in Smith, Willis and Gore won't help on that front.
Owner Jed York sided with his general manager in a year-long tug of war, placing a higher value on Baalke's player acquisition skills than Harbaugh's coaching ability.
The pressure is on Baalke and hand-picked head coach Jim Tomsula to stay out of the NFC West basement while excavating a roster that Harbaugh led to heights not experienced since the halcyon days of Bill Walsh and George Seifert.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the Brandon Marshall trade and plays another game of "Go Get My Lunch." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
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- 8,874
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #40
Bernie: Can Rams exploit 49ers' turmoil?
• By Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_76eed67e-002f-5145-a873-bf22922b7d66.html
Do the Rams have a chance to move up in the NFC West?
Apparently so.
That's because of the big changes that keep coming with the San Francisco 49ers. A roiling offseason began with the resignation/firing of successful head coach Jim Harbaugh, who didn't get along with his bosses — team owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke.
The 49ers hired their new coach, Jim Tomsula, by promoting from within. At least from the outside Tomsula was panned as an uninspired choice — a dutiful company man who won't stand up to Baalke — but time will tell.
And now the 49ers' roster is about to get rocked by multiple retirements and free-agent losses.
It's been reported that LB Patrick Willis and defensive lineman Justin Smith plan to announce their retirements, and enduring running back Frank Gore is said to be on the way to Philadelphia as a free agent.
Willis and Smith were the undisputed leaders of the 49ers defense. The 49ers will miss them on the field and in the locker room. The relentless Gore was also a team leader. The three veterans all served as San Francisco captains in recent seasons, setting the standard for the toughness that defined the 49ers' team personality.
That's only the beginning.
The outstanding free-agent guard Mike Iupati will be coveted by multiple teams and will command a huge price on the open market. If the 49ers keep him it would be a surprise.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is a free agent and will likely leave. After a big 2012 he's had a couple of down seasons, but it's not as if the 49ers have a surplus of terrific wideouts.
There have been reports of the 49ers are shopping QB Colin Kaepernick ... which Baalke denies.
Also: LB NaVarro Bowman will be trying to return after missing all of last season with an injury ... WR Anquan Boldin turns 35 in October and this will likely be his final season with the 49ers ... pass rusher Aldon Smith's future is never secure because of his history of personal issues and disturbing off-field conduct... tight end Vernon Davis caught only 26 passes for an average of 9.4 yards last season and could be in decline.
If you judge it by the record, Harbaugh did a very good job of leading the 49ers' collection of volatile, colorful and wild personalities. Harbaugh led the team to a 44-19-1 regular-season record and one NFC Championship after taking over in 2011.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke hired head coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead a year later, and the franchise is still trying to close the division gap with Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
Here are the NFC West records in the first three seasons of the Fisher-Snead regime, including the NFL ranking for winning percentage:
• Seattle, 36-12 ... .750 ... ranked tied for 2nd.
• San Francisco, 31-16-1 ... .656 ... tied for 5th.
• Arizona, 26-22 ... .542 ... ranked 12th.
• St. Louis, 20-27-1 ... .427 ... ranked 25th among 32 teams.
The Rams may finally see some daylight in the NFC West. The 49ers are in a major transition. The 2013 Seahawks won the Super Bowl and came within a yard (and one play) of winning it again this past season. But the two-time defending NFC Champions will find it increasingly difficult to retain all of their best players. The Cardinals got dramatically better (21-11) in coach Bruce Arians' first two seasons. But the Cardinals can't keep QB Carson Palmer healthy, and that puts them at risk.
So the Rams, in theory, have an opportunity to get out of last place. They've finished last in the NFC West six times over the last eight seasons.
And while the Rams' roster still has too many average or below-average players, the overall personnel has gotten better under Snead and Fisher. I'd like to think that this incremental roster improvement would continue in 2015, but I'm not sure if the Rams can successfully retool their offensive line. And obviously it's rather naive to count on QB Sam Bradford to remain healthy for 16 games.
With the 49ers struggling on offense and the Cardinals slowed by quarterback injuries, the Rams actually outscored the 'Niners and Cards in 2014. (Points on offense; this doesn't include points scored by the defense or special teams.)
Perhaps that can be interpreted as another positive sign for the Rams, but let's not get carried away. The Rams scored 289 points on offense, which was nearly 100 points under the 385-point average scored by the 12 playoff teams last season.
But the NFC West should be less imposing in 2015, and it's up to Snead and Fisher to take advantage of it. Last season the Rams disappointed by falling to their worst record (6-10) under Fisher. Not that Fisher is in any danger of losing his job, but that can't happen again.
Thanks for reading ...
— Bernie
• By Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_76eed67e-002f-5145-a873-bf22922b7d66.html
Do the Rams have a chance to move up in the NFC West?
Apparently so.
That's because of the big changes that keep coming with the San Francisco 49ers. A roiling offseason began with the resignation/firing of successful head coach Jim Harbaugh, who didn't get along with his bosses — team owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke.
The 49ers hired their new coach, Jim Tomsula, by promoting from within. At least from the outside Tomsula was panned as an uninspired choice — a dutiful company man who won't stand up to Baalke — but time will tell.
And now the 49ers' roster is about to get rocked by multiple retirements and free-agent losses.
It's been reported that LB Patrick Willis and defensive lineman Justin Smith plan to announce their retirements, and enduring running back Frank Gore is said to be on the way to Philadelphia as a free agent.
Willis and Smith were the undisputed leaders of the 49ers defense. The 49ers will miss them on the field and in the locker room. The relentless Gore was also a team leader. The three veterans all served as San Francisco captains in recent seasons, setting the standard for the toughness that defined the 49ers' team personality.
That's only the beginning.
The outstanding free-agent guard Mike Iupati will be coveted by multiple teams and will command a huge price on the open market. If the 49ers keep him it would be a surprise.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is a free agent and will likely leave. After a big 2012 he's had a couple of down seasons, but it's not as if the 49ers have a surplus of terrific wideouts.
There have been reports of the 49ers are shopping QB Colin Kaepernick ... which Baalke denies.
Also: LB NaVarro Bowman will be trying to return after missing all of last season with an injury ... WR Anquan Boldin turns 35 in October and this will likely be his final season with the 49ers ... pass rusher Aldon Smith's future is never secure because of his history of personal issues and disturbing off-field conduct... tight end Vernon Davis caught only 26 passes for an average of 9.4 yards last season and could be in decline.
If you judge it by the record, Harbaugh did a very good job of leading the 49ers' collection of volatile, colorful and wild personalities. Harbaugh led the team to a 44-19-1 regular-season record and one NFC Championship after taking over in 2011.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke hired head coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead a year later, and the franchise is still trying to close the division gap with Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
Here are the NFC West records in the first three seasons of the Fisher-Snead regime, including the NFL ranking for winning percentage:
• Seattle, 36-12 ... .750 ... ranked tied for 2nd.
• San Francisco, 31-16-1 ... .656 ... tied for 5th.
• Arizona, 26-22 ... .542 ... ranked 12th.
• St. Louis, 20-27-1 ... .427 ... ranked 25th among 32 teams.
The Rams may finally see some daylight in the NFC West. The 49ers are in a major transition. The 2013 Seahawks won the Super Bowl and came within a yard (and one play) of winning it again this past season. But the two-time defending NFC Champions will find it increasingly difficult to retain all of their best players. The Cardinals got dramatically better (21-11) in coach Bruce Arians' first two seasons. But the Cardinals can't keep QB Carson Palmer healthy, and that puts them at risk.
So the Rams, in theory, have an opportunity to get out of last place. They've finished last in the NFC West six times over the last eight seasons.
And while the Rams' roster still has too many average or below-average players, the overall personnel has gotten better under Snead and Fisher. I'd like to think that this incremental roster improvement would continue in 2015, but I'm not sure if the Rams can successfully retool their offensive line. And obviously it's rather naive to count on QB Sam Bradford to remain healthy for 16 games.
With the 49ers struggling on offense and the Cardinals slowed by quarterback injuries, the Rams actually outscored the 'Niners and Cards in 2014. (Points on offense; this doesn't include points scored by the defense or special teams.)
Perhaps that can be interpreted as another positive sign for the Rams, but let's not get carried away. The Rams scored 289 points on offense, which was nearly 100 points under the 385-point average scored by the 12 playoff teams last season.
But the NFC West should be less imposing in 2015, and it's up to Snead and Fisher to take advantage of it. Last season the Rams disappointed by falling to their worst record (6-10) under Fisher. Not that Fisher is in any danger of losing his job, but that can't happen again.
Thanks for reading ...
— Bernie