Picks4Players, your year-to-date leaders in the 30th Annual National Handicapper’s Bowl as featured in Pro Football Weekly, has another weekend of FREE selections!!!

As the headline of this post states, your team here at Picks4Players is in 1st place, year-to-date for this NFL season, in picking winners ATS (Against the Spread).  In the 30th Annual rendition of this prestigious event, Picks4Players has risen above all other contenders, almost all of which are Pay for Pick sites.  That has never been our style at P4P, we just believe that we can level the playing field against the Vegas line, and we like to spread the wealth, not charge you for the information.  Best of luck and enjoy your Sunday.  Check back tomorrow for our Monday night selection between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers.   

 

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 14. 

San Diego @ Dallas (-3)

The Chargers roll into Dallas having won 7 in row.  Dallas is playing better but struggled last week against the Giants.  We see this as a tight game throughout with the Chargers offense making the difference.

OUR PICK: SAN DIEGO +3

 

Detroit @ Baltimore (-13)

The banged up Lions come into Baltimore with the Ravens smelling blood.  The Ravens need this one so they will play desperate showing no mercy to the Lions.

OUR PICK: BALTIMORE -13

 

Cincinnati @ Minnesota (-6 ½)

This game is a huge measuring stick for the Bengals, after playing weak opponents the past few weeks they now step up in class with the Vikings.  The Vikings were shaky last week against the Cardinals.  We like the matchup of the Cincy passing game against

OUR PICK: CINCINNATI +6 ½    

 

Miami @ Jacksonville (-3)

Now 14 weeks into the regular season, Jacksonville has yet to face a team with a winning record.  At 7-5, one would think with that schedule the Jags would be standing at 9-3.  Miami coming off the win against New England should pound the Jags.

OUR PICK: MIAMI +3

Sunday November 29th, Week 12, in the National Football League- P4P has free winners again 4 U 2day.

 

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 12.

 

Our pick in BOLD

Jacksonville @ San Francisco (-3)

The Jaguars have yet to play a team with a winning record this year and now must travel west to face the 49ers.  While both teams have solid run games, the Jaguars may struggle on the road passing the ball and we see the 49ers defense creating some short field opportunities and easy scores.  

 Chicago (+10) @ Minnesota

This is just too many points to give up to a divisional rival.  The Bears should be able to move the ball through the air and score enough points to keep up with the Vikings, because both team will pass the ball.  We also like OVER 47.

 Seattle (-4) @ St. Louis

The Rams are an injury-riddled bunch, so Seattle should have their way with the Rams.  The Rams will have a very tough time scoring TD’s which will give the Seahawks an easier time covering the 4.

 Washington (+9) @ Philadelphia

The Redskins defense has played tough all year and we see no reason why they can’t keep this game close with an inconsistent Eagles offense.  Neither team will be able to run the ball which will make play-action fakes much less effective, so throwing will be a challenge too.

 Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-13)

The Bengals have just too much firepower for the weak Browns defense.  We also see some shorts fields for the Bengals offense as the Brady Quinn led Browns will find the going tough all day against a strong Cincy defense.

Good luck to all the players out there today.  Play wise, play smart, play on, Players!!

P4P’s perspective on Sunday November 22nd, 2009 in the National Football League

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 11.

 

Our pick in BOLD

 

Pittsburgh (-10) @ Kansas City

Even without Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh should meet little resistance from the Chiefs coming off their snooze fest against Oakland. No Dwayne Bowe, no Larry Johnson, no running game, no passing game, NO COVER for KC. 

 

Indianapolis (-1 ½) @ Baltimore

Baltimore coming of a short week will have a hard time defending the red hot Colts offense.  This line has moved a point and a half since Monday and with good reason.  The Raven offense has not looked good the past few weeks and the defense does not seem to resemble the Raven defenses of yesteryear.

 

Atlanta @ NY Giants (-6 ½)

Atlanta seems to be a different team away from dome, going 1-4 on the year.  They face a Giants team fresh of their BYE week and desperate.  The Giants ground game will control the game and allow Manning to open up the passing lanes.  Look for Ahmad Bradshaw to have a big first half and then watch Brandon Jacobs take over late as he punishes the Falcons’ LBs and DBs.  This will be a solid, old-fashioned, workmanlike G-Men performance that will have their fan base thinking playoffs again, at least for the week.

 

Arizona @ St. Louis OVER 46

These teams feature two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.  Balls will be flying everywhere and hopefully the points too!

 

San Francisco @ Green Bay (-6 ½)     

Green Bay throws the ball well and the 49ers can’t defend the pass, ranking 29^th in the league.  The Packers defense is better than most people think ranking 4^th overall in yards given up.  If the Packers get an early lead, this one won’t be close.

 

Buffalo (+9) @ Jacksonville

The Bills should come with a little extra motivation this week against a very suspect Jaguar squad.  The Jags have yet to play a team with a winning record, yet only have a 4-4 record.  This game won’t be pretty but the Bills will keep it close as everybody except for T.O. tries to make a good impression on their new coach in an effort to keep their jobs.

 

Don’t forget to go back and check your picks against our good buddy, the newest addition to the P4P team and Myth Busters in-house explosives expert, Sgt. JD Nelson, aka C4.  See the posting titled He’s Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack….. for JD’s selections for this week and make sure to follow C4’s picks each Thursday at www.Picks4Players.com. Play on Players!!!

NFL Sunday and P4P Free Selections, Explosive Guest Picker

As you, our loyal followers know, we here at P4P do everything we can to provide all the players out there with just enough of the right information, coupled with the necessary intuition to ‘go with our rather large guts’ to help sway the playing field in your direction.  For that reason we are pleased to welcome to Picks4Players a special guest selector today who we expect to provide explosive picks today.

 

You may be familiar with today’s special guest if you watch the TV show MythBusters.  As a frequent guest contributor to that show and their resident explosives expert, Sergeant JD Nelsonis very familiar with the National Football League.  We can’t go into the depth of his NFL resume as it is on a ‘need to know’ basis.  We think you’ll appreciate Sergeant Nelson’s candor and style.  Check out Sergeant Nelson’s selections at the bottom of this posting and enjoy the day. 

 

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 9.

 

Our pick in BOLD

 

Kansas City (+6 ½) @ Jacksonville

The Chiefs are coming off a bye week to face a Jaguar team that is 0-7 as a home favorite.  Both of these teams look evenly matched so we will take the points here.  Quite frankly these teams seem to be headed in the opposite directions. If anyone can figure out the Jaguars, please stand up…please stand up. 

 

Miami @ New England (-10)

After Miami introduced the NFL to the Wildcat offense last season, embarrassed the Patriots and completely exposed Bill Belichik as clearly not the best in-game strategist, the Pats have figured it out. New England completely shutdown the wildcat in the first meeting this season, so look for more of the same with the Patriots coming off the bye week.  Also, Joey Porter loves to hear himself talk almost as much as I like to hear him talk.  His comments about Tom Brady essentially begging for calls was right on point, however, on this brisk and sunny New England Sunday, Porter’s comments will only come back to bite the ‘Phins in the a$$.  Brady will throw for at least 4 TD passes in this Pats rout.

 

Houston (+9) @ Indianapolis

Under normal circumstances this would look like a great spot for Indy, but Indy will be without 3 starting defensive backs, which can’t be good facing the NFL’s 4^th best passing team.  We also like OVER 49.

 

Baltimore @ Cincinnati (+3)

After an emotional win over Denver last week, Baltimore goes on the road to face the Bengals off a bye week. Again, this looks like an even match up but we like the fresher Bengals to win outright.

 

San Diego (+4 ½) @ NY Giants    

With a late afternoon start to this one, the San Diego body clocks with feel right on-time.  The odds makers have not caught up to the currently lousy NY Giant defense.  Let’s get real about this NY Giants squad, they are not very good.  Their early season schedule explains the hot start, the win over Dallas was their lone quality win, and when they’ve faced quality NFC teams, they barely show up.  Things aren’t looking good in the NYC.  Wasn’t it after week 3 that we were hearing about the ‘Subway Super Bowl’ or the ‘Meadowlands Miracle Super Bowl’ or whatever they wanted to call the never to happen Giants-J.E.T.S. JETS, JETS, JETS, Super Bowl.

 

Dallas @ Philadelphia (-3)  

The Eagles welcome back Brian Westbrook this week to an offense that was on all cylinders last week.  Dallas has played well the past couple of weeks but the cold Philly air will put a chill to the Dallas offense.  Philly will begin to assert themselves as one of only a few legitimate contenders in the far more entertaining NFC.

Sergeant JD Nelson’s NFL C4 Selections:
Scouring the odds for this weeks football games….

Niners 4 over Tennessee…take the niners they’ll win by 10 I see.
Baltimore 3 over Cincy…I like Cincy…dont know why                                                   Indy 9 over Houston….Indy kills crappy teams. Indy
Atlanta 10 over Warshington ummmm dont know
Green Bay 9.5 over Tampon Bay…Tampa Sucks take Green Bay
Chicago 3 over Arizona…which teams are going to show up? No pick
New England 10.5 over Miami…Pats are at home and will cover
Nah Orleens 13.5 over Carolina…not too sure but i’d take N.O.
Seattle 10 over Detroit…Seattle is not that good, but good enough. SEA
NYG 4.5 over San Diego….This is the time SD starts playing well. SD
Philly 3 over Dallas….Philly is tough unless they play the Raidahs. PHI
Pittsburgh 3 over Denver… who the F knows…Home team wins..Denver

November in the NFL, let the playoff drive begin!!! P4P still ‘white hot’ in NFL selections ATS

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 8.

 

We’re feeling confident with our recent success on our 5 STAR plays.  As a result, we are giving you, our loyal followers, FREE direct access to our 5 star selections in the Pro Football Weekly National Handicapper’s Bowl.  We have correctly selected 7 out of our last 9 FIVE STAR games. 

Check it out at http://nhbowl.com/Games.php

 

This Sunday we have 2 games that we feel are 5-STAR worthy. In addition, as a bonus, we have added both of our 4 STAR selections.  By posting our strongest plays we are exposing our game plan to our competition, but we don’t care.  We feel strongly about our selections and we feel equally strong about our commitment to the Players out there that are just trying to get an edge on Vegas.  We’re here for you.

 

5 STAR Selections

 

San Francisco @ Indianapolis, 1pm EST

Current Line: Indianapolis -12 ½  

The San Francisco offensive line is patchwork, which should allow the Indy defense to wreak havoc on 49ers QB Alex Smith.  Defenses that rarely face Payton Manning usually have a very difficult time.

Our Pick: Indianapolis -12 ½ 

 

New York Giants @ Philadelphia, 1pm EST

Current Line: Pick’em

The Giants have struggled the past couple of weeks but there is no better road coach in the NFL than Tom Coughlin.  An Eagles team without Brian Westbrook makes this an even stronger pick. 

Our Pick: New York Giants at Pick’em

 

4 STAR Selections

 

St. Louis @ Detroit, 1pm EST

Current Line: Detroit -4

We usually don’t like picking a game that features 2 lousy teams but there is an opportunity here.  The Lions get Stafford and Johnson back this week and are coming off a bye so they should be the fresh while the Rams are playing in their 8^th straight week and 5^th road game.

Our Pick: Detroit -4

 

Denver @ Baltimore, 1pm EST

Current Line: Baltimore -3

This looks to be a great spot for Baltimore, who is typically very tough at home.  Baltimore’s running attack game should control the game and keep the Denver offense off the field.

Our Pick: Baltimore -3

Picks4Players remains hot!!! NFL Sunday Euro spectacular- You are looking LIVE at Wembley Stadium in London, England

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 7.

 

Because we feel confident with our recent success on our 5 STAR plays, we are giving you, our loyal followers FREE direct access to our 5 star selections in the Pro Football Weekly National Handicapper’s Bowl.  We are currently in 2^nd place in the overall standings and have correctly selected 5 out of 6 FIVE STAR games.  Check it out at http://nhbowl.com/Games.php

 

This Sunday we have 2 games that we feel are 5 STAR worthy:

 

Chicago @ Cincinnati, 1pm EST

Current Line: Cincinnati -1 

Last week Chicago moved the ball up and down the field against Atlanta only to have trouble in the red zone.  We do not see that happening this week against a Cincinnati defense without 2 of its biggest stars.  Jay Cutler will have a big day and Carson Palmer will struggle against that tough Bears defense.  Cincinnati seem to play nothing but close games and have won the majority of them, but we look for that trend to stop today. The Bears finally have a quarterback that allows them to attack and keep attacking downfield.  This game should be a fun to watch, high-scoring affair.  Think about OVER 42 ½ if you want extra action on this one.  This could be 21-17 after the first quarter.

Our Pick: Chicago +1

 

New England vs. Tampa Bay, 1pm EST (Wembley Stadium, London, England 7PM local time) Current Line: New England -14   

We see no reason why New England, on a road trip to Olde England, won’t pick up right where it left off last week against a Tampa Bay team that is arguably the National Football League’s worst team.  This one won’t be close. If you’ve made the trip over enjoy this Jolly good show and as always when traveling across the pond, if you need a safe place to protect your cash and valuables, hide them under the soap!  For some reason, Euros never think to look there, ever.    

Our Pick: New England -14

 

Other games we like on today’s limited NFL slate:

 

Atlanta +4 ½ @ Dallas:  There are two NFL team fan bases that just can’t seem to figure out the difference between betting with your head and betting with your heart.  Dallas fans along with the ridiculously passionate J.E.T.S. JETS, JETS, JETS fans will pour money into the system and on their squad to sway the line.  This game is one of those games.  I’m sorry people, but the wrong team is favored here.  After destroying San Francisco on the road and outlasting a solid and explosive Bears team, the Falcons are going to toast the Cowboys today.  Take the points if you want to play safe and if you are feeling lucky, then take the Falcons straight up.

 

Indianapolis –14 @ St. Louis Rams:  Indianapolis will be inspired by the return of Bob Sanders, as if they needed inspiration.  Manning is proving once again that he’s more than just Eli’s older brother.  St. Louis will eventually turn things around for Coach Spags, but it won’t be today, this season, or anytime soon.  Look for Indianapolis to run a one-sided, high scoring and well orchestrated scrimmage today against the Lambs.

 

TOTALs  that we like:

 

San Francisco @ Houston 1 PM EST:  OVER 44 

Look for Michael Crabtree to get involved early and often today in his hometown and NFL debut with the 49ers.  Stump the Schaub should also have a big day for the Texans.  We see this as an easy OVER, maybe by half time.

 

NY JETS @ Oakland Raiders 4:05 PM EST:  UNDER 34 ½: 

It’s possible that the only touchdowns scored in this one will be on Defense and Special Teams.  Look for both teams to blitz all day and create opportunities through this relentless pressure.  This could be the most exciting UNDER in quite some time.

 

Arizona @ NY Giants 8:35 PM EST:  OVER 46 ½

This should be a barnburner from the opening kick.  Look for lots of scoring early and then a critical drive late by either team will seal the deal.  We see a final of 31-28, one way or another.

NFL Week # 4 - We’re just getting warmed up. P4P = picks for FREE

Here are PICKS4PLAYERS BEST BETS for NFL week 4.

 

Tennessee @ Jacksonville , 1pm est

Current Line: Tennessee -3 

The 0-3 Tennessee Titans are desperate as they travel to Jacksonville and try to right their ship, but they will have to do it without starting CB Cortland Finnegan.  This is a Tennessee defense that has struggled against the pass all season, so far giving up over 275 yards a game through the air.  Jacksonville is a home underdog that must be taken seriously and we like them here, getting a field goal.

Our Pick: Jacksonville +3

 

Cincinnati @ Cleveland , 1pm est

Current Line: Cincinnati -5  

Cleveland is changing QB’s, going with Mr. Turnover, Derek Anderson.  That’s the least of their problems.  The organization is in shambles. The Jets, the Patriots, Bill Belichik, and many others around the league continue to laugh out loud at the Browns’ and their coaching ‘search’ and hiring ‘process’ that landed Eric Mangini the gig as Browns’ head coach.  Nothing screams ‘I’m a putz’ more than Mangini himself walking the sidelines acting like he’s in charge and in control while the rest of us know that nobody in that locker room respects their pudgy tool of a leader.  He hasn’t earned the nickname Mangina for nothing.  Strictly speaking football, Cincy’s defense is very underrated and should force a few turnovers, giving Carson Palmer & co. some short fields.  We think Cincy wins going away and look for an enormous chorus of booooooooooos to rain down on the Browns from the booooooooooooooooooooooozed up Dawg Pound.

Our Pick: Cincinnati -5

 

Baltimore @ New England, 1pm est

Current Line: New England -1 ½    

Other than the Monday night game, this is probably the marquee game of the week.  New England comes into this one with both banged up offensive and defensive lines.  At this time of year though, who isn’t a little banged up? We’re all a little banged up.  Baltimore has the best run defense and one of the top running attacks through 3 weeks.  Better run D and better run game…time for Baltimore to make a statement.  New England is hard to figure.  They were extremely fortunate to pull out their opener against Buffalo.  The Jets beat them soundly in week 2 and their win last week against the Falcons was solid, but less than impressive. One thing is for certain about the Patriots, they are not the dominant team that they were for the first 2/3 of the 2007 season.  That ship sailed long ago and in the final analysis, the Patriots legacy during their first 50 years as a franchise is 43 years of being one of the laughing-stocks of football and seven seasons of documented cheating.  Happy anniversary. We’ll take the Ravens. 

Our Pick: Baltimore ON THE MONEY LINE at +105

 

NY Jets @ New Orleans, 4:05pm est

Current Line: New Orleans -7

The Jets will be without both starting CB’s which must have New Orleans QB, Drew Brees, licking his chops.  Brees and his quick release along with Sean Payton’s maniacal offensive mind should capitalize early and often against the blitzing J.E.T.S. JETS, JETS, JETS. No doubt Mark Sanchez has been very good in the early going but he has never played in a place like the Superdome.  Expect the ‘Dirty Sanchise’ to receive a rude welcome to the dirty South.  This one will be an easy double-digit win for New Orleans.

Our Pick: New Orleans -7

 

Dallas @ Denver, 4:15pm est

Current Line: Dallas -3

Dallas is very thin at RB but Marion Barber might play and if he does then Dallas will finally expose the Broncos for what they really are….the worst 3-0 team in football.  Tashard Choice will get the bulk of the carries, Barber will be used in spots, Romo will have a solid day. The Dallas’ defense should pressure Denver QB Kyle Orton all day and should force some bad throws and short fields for Tony Romo. We may even see a pick 6 for the Cowboys.  Welcome back to Earth Josh McDaniels.

Our Pick: Dallas -3

 

OVER/UNDER Selections

 

NY Giants-KC Chiefs…We like UNDER 42.  Giants are a great road team and we doubt KC will score 10 points.  Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw.  Rinse and repeat.  The G-Men will get physical today.

 

Washington-Tampa Bay…We like UNDER 37.  Both these offenses have been bad.  Clinton Portis might not play for Washington and Tampa’s QB situation is a mess.  Welcome to being a Head Coach in the league Raheem Morris.

 

Have a great Sunday.  Enjoy the action.  Play wise and play smart Player!!!

 

Also, be sure to follow picks4players on twitter.

San Francisco 49ers 2009 Draft Recap- Special thanks to new addition to P4P team, consultant Professor Paul on the West Coast

Although some fans/sites knock the draft for its failure to select an offensive tackle or a pass rusher, when the off season as a whole is looked at, the San Francisco 49ers did a nice job for the present and the future. A position by position analysis follows.
Quarterback: At first blush it appears the niners are at risk. They retained Alex Smith and Sean Hill, neither of whom are established NFL starters while adding Damon Huard as a free agent and drafting Nate Davis in Round 5. Davis was rated by many as the 4th best prospect at QB and one of the most productive in college. Smith was retained at a much lower cost revised contract which enables the team to take one last look at Smith when, hopefully, healthy while still not taking a major cap hit for his prepaid bonus money. Hill isn’t pretty but he has gone 7-3 as a starter, including 5-3 last year under Singletary. Finally, the team traded its Round 2 and Round 4 picks for Carolina’s round 1 pick in 2010, which positions them to maneuver in next year’s draft to try again for a franchise QB if necessary.
Running back/fullback: The team’s stated goal was to add a back to share the load with Frank Gore to enable the team to have a fresher Gore in the fourth quarter and late in the season. They accomplished this by adding Glen Coffee in Round 3. Coffee had a fine year for Alabama against SEC competition and is a good receiver and willing blocker. As an added plus the team signed undrafted free agent Kory Sheets who had a fine season for Purdue and was one of the fastest backs at the combine. He went undrafted because of perceived “character issues”. Finally, the niners brought back Moran Norris at fullback. Norris was Gore’s lead blocker during his best seasons but didn’t fit Mike Martz’ offense.
Wide Receiver. Michael Crabtree, recognized by everyone (except “the genius” in Oakland) as the best receiver in the draft and one of its top players fell in the niners’ lap at number 10 in Round 1, for reasons detailed endlessly in the press and blogosphere. Brandon Jones was signed as a free agent from Tennessee to replace Bryant Johnson who was not resigned after a disappointing season. They join Isaac Bruce who decided not to retire, Josh Morgan who showed flashes of brilliance before injuries derailed his rookie year and Jason Hill who made great strides in his second year under the tutelage of Isaac Bruce. Arnaz Battle also returns. He is my offensive “mine canary“ this year. (A mine canary was a bird sent into the mine with the miners. If the air became toxic the canary died before the air became so bad that miners couldn’t escape.) Here, if Battle makes the team it is a sign things are not going well. He should be no better than the sixth receiver and he is way to expensive for that.
Tight End. The niners added Bear Pascoe in Round 6. Pascoe was generally perceived as the best blocking tight end in the draft and replaces Billy Bajema who left as a free agent Pascoe will play in two tight end sets and is generally recognized as an upgrade, if for no other reason than his ability to catch the ball and his size in the red zone where he may prove to be a threat the niners have been missing.
Offensive Line. Going into the off season right tackle was generally seen as the area of greatest need. Jonas Jennings was perpetually injured, Barry Simms was “Mr. False Start” and Adam Snyder has proved to be a competent and versatile backup but an inadequate starter (at least at right tackle). The team signed ex Steeler Marvel Smith who, when healthy was a pro bowl caliber player. Unfortunately he has had a back problem and is a risk to replace Jennings on IR. Thus going into the draft it was expected by many that a tackle would be taken in the first round. In fact, it has been reported that the niners would have taken Michael Oher at number 10 if Crabtree had not fallen or if they were unable to trade down. The niners were clearly unimpressed with the tackles available in the second round on down, apparently believing that they provided no better insurance for Marvel Smith tan did Snyder. After the draft the team signed Alex Boone, a four year starter at Ohio State. Boone, an admitted alcoholic (up to 40 bears a day) was generally perceived as a 3rd or 4th round talent with alcohol related character issues. If he can remain sober (he attends AA) and if Singletary can motivate him he could be a steal. The remainder of the line appears more solid than they were given credit for. Staley moved from right to left tackle and progressed as the year went on, particularly after the seven step drop was significantly limited. Chilo Rachal, last years 2nd rounder took over at right guard after Singletary took over and looks to be a fixture for several years.
Defensive Line. It was generally perceived that the niners needed a pass rusher. In the 3-4 defense this is usually not a d-lineman but rather an outside linebacker. The linemen in a 3-4 are primarily used to occupy blockers allowing the linebackers to make plays. The existing group did this job well, particularly after Singletary took over and allowed D-coordinator Mike Manusky to simplify the defense into a more attacking mode. Thus it was not surprising that the niners didn’t draft a defensive lineman until late in the seventh round, although they were thought to be interested in B.J. Raji a huge nose tackle from Boston College. In Round 7 the niners took Ricky Jean Francois who they believe can play DE or DT. Francois, who left LSU after his junior year, was generally perceived to have 3rd round talent but for his immaturity and perceived character issues. The niners also added undrafted rookies Khalif Mitchell and Pannell Egboh. Mitchell is a huge nose tackle who was down graded for character issues and inconsistent effort. Egboh, on the other hand, has no character issues but had a down senior year, partly because of injuries. Prior to the season he was rated a mid round talent at DE.
Linebacker. The team resigned Takeo Spikes to play alongside Patrick Willis at middle backer. Parys Haralson led the team in sacks at one outside position and is thought to have double digit sack potential. Manny Lawson, a college DE was drafted in the first round 3 years ago with the belief that he could be a pass rushing linebacker. He missed the 2007 season with a knee injury and , as is oten the case with knees, was not fully back last year. While Lawson has become a solid backer he has not proven to be a productive pass rusher. While fans were calling for a pass rusher to be drafted in the first or second round, the team brought in former Bear Al Harris to coach pass rush technique and expressed belief in Lawson’s ability to provide increased pressure. The niners passed on all of the top backers in the first round and traded their 2nd round pick instead of taking any of the highly touted pass rushers still available. They currently have Ahmed Brooks, brought in last season after bein g cut by Cincy and Marques Harris, recently signed as a free agent from San Diego as backup outside backers, although neither has a history as a great pass rusher. I would not be surprised to see the niners pick up a pass rusher cut for cap reasons. In Round 5 the team selected Scott McKillop of Pittsburgh. The niners, and particularly Singletary (who should know) seem elated with this pick, believing that McKillop will replace Spikes in a year or two and play alongside Willis for years to come.
Defensive Backs. The niners seem deep at corner but flirted with several free agents before the draft and brought in 3 rookie free agents after the draft. This suggests that they are concerned about the eventual replacement for Walt Harris who will be 35 when the season starts. They say positive things about current backups Shawntae Spencer and Terel Brown but there actions suggest otherwise. At safety the team drafted Curtis Taylor of LSU in Round 7. He will compete for time at free safety. The team also added Jimmy Willliams, a former second round pick of the Falcons. I would not be at all surprised to see the niners pick up a player or two cut for cap reasons.
Two interesting developments came out of the off season for the niners.
First, the trade for Carolina’s 2010 first round pick gives the team great flexibility in the remainder of this off season or in next years draft. They have the ability to sign current franchised players such as Julius Peppers or Terrelle Suggs (which I doubt they will do); to trade up in next years draft to sign a top rated QB such as Sam Bradford from Oklahoma or Colt McCoy from Texas; to trade for a franchised QB in 2010; or to move up or down in the draft to fill needs. As an aside, the Carolina pick may prove to be higher than one might expect. Carolina has a tough schedule, including all NFC East teams.
Second, the team picked up a number of players identified as “character risks”, based in part in the belief that Singletary can motivate them. In addition to seventh round supplemental pick Francois and Rookie Free Agents Boone, Sheets and Mitchell, the team signed former Atlanta second round pick Jimmy Williams to go along with former Cincy third round linebacker Ahmed Brooks signed late last year. Each of these players seems to have the skills to make the team and contribute. If even one of them does, this will be a gift, since collectively they cost only a supplemental seventh round pick, little bonus money and no guaranteed salaries. Expect Singletary to have a zero tolerance policy for knuckleheads but to find some keepers.
All in all I think this has been a very strong off season. The team has quality starters at virtually every position ( We can argue about QB) and adequate backups at most positions. Going forward, thay are well positioned cap wise and with high draft picks to continue to move forward and fill any holes that prove to exist and to continue to upgrade the talent pool. This year, for the first time in a long time, it is likely that some quality players will be cut for reasons other than character and salary cap.