Free Agency, or, Saying Goodbye to Some Old Friends

This year's start of free agency has hit Niners fans pretty hard. That's because, as the team aims to get younger and also shed some of their larger contracts, we have had to say goodbye to some players who have provided some of the most memorable, team-galvanizing plays of recent times, contributing hugely to wins against big rivals (Seahawks, Eagles) and led us to the NFC championship and Superbowl runs that have been a staple of the last five years. The only two teams more successful in this period have been the Chiefs and the Eagles - we have been riding pretty high!

My favourite player of these last five years has been Deebo Samuel. I love his wrecking ball style of play. His 3 TD game against the Eagles last year was probably his last really great game as a Niner, but there's so many other points in time where he's just dominated a game or turned it around - and so often against a rival like the Rams or Seahawks. This last year was absolutely not his year, and it's sad to see him go - though to be honest it has felt like he's been gone for a little while now. But I'm sure he's still going to have a game or two as his old self with the Commanders.

Dre. Man, did I ever love Dre. I loved Fred and Dre together almost as much as I loved Patrick and NaVarro - which is a lot, folks. Responsible for one of the single greatest plays in 49ers history - no hyperbole, I know that's a huge cauldron of great plays and a significant number of iconic out-of-your-seat jubilance moments that I'm comparing to - was his goal-line stand against Jacob Hollister of the Seahawks to end the 2019 season and start their Superbowl run. Like, Dre didn't just tackle Hollister, he DESTROYED him. Hollister went from moving forward to moving absolutely nowhere in an instant. The ball could not have been closer to the goal line without crossing it. Just so great. That was Dre. Big Play Dre.

Hufanga, I will say that he didn't have the same prolonged success as the other two, but his highs were pretty damn high. Obviously the special teams play in Green Bay to end that horrible snowy stalemate will be remembered as his biggest moment as a Niner, but damn he sure had Matt Stafford's number a few times as well.

And then there's Aaron Banks, who was as solid of a left guard as you could hope for. Juice, of course, who was the original "offensive weapon". Though he was never quite used in that way, he did have several plays, toe tap catches on sidelines and such, that just yanked you out of your seat.

Mooney Ward, who we knew wouldn't be coming back due to his desire to leave the trauma that he's had to endure while with the team behind (no one's fault, just life). But whose departure still hurts. Man his clamping down on DK the past couple years has been amazing and legendary. He was a true shutdown corner. And I loved his locker room interviews. He always came across as thoughtful and respectful, humble for a guy who could stand up to and shut down a hulk like DK Metcalf on the field.

Anyway, time moves on and the team must as well. But yeah, sad and reflective time in the Niners fandom for sure. Here's hoping we do some trade-ups in the draft and snag some really quality young replacements in April.

Love Lance

By the by, there are a lot of people talking about Jordan Love, how the Packers are optimistic, how we haven't seen much of him in the NFL yet, hell how he hasn't played much football at all since 2019, but there's a reason he was drafted in the first round.

There are also a lot of people labeling Trey Lance as a bust already. Uh.

Every word about Jordan Love above should be directly applicable to Trey Lance as well. Is this not logical?

Love has appeared in 10 NFL games, attempting 83 passes. Lance has appeared in 8 NFL games, attempting 102 passes.

There are differences between the two, obviously, but the similarities are many. And these are both young (24 and 23) highly athletic men being coached by offensive geniuses (Matt LaFleur - a Shanahan disciple, and Kyle Shanahan himself), having been coached by the same head coach - essentially also their offensive coordinators - their entire careers.

Jordan Love, under difficult circumstances, looked terrible in his only start last year (due to Rodgers' failed immunization to covid). Trey looked pretty bad under terrible conditions in his first start last year (against the Bears in a crazy ass rainstorm). In his second start, he was injured.

(Against the Texans the year before, he actually looked good. Say what you will about the Texans and their defense at the time, but this was still an NFL game.)

So, please, people who are labeling one a bust while looking at the other with "optimism". Please, stop it already.

And please, Mike Florio, the idea that Shanahan, with both Brock Purdy and Trey Lance still on their rookie contracts, would enter a "tug-of-war" with Sean McVay next offseason for Kirk Cousins*. Jesus. Shut up already.

* I don't actually think Cousins is a bad QB by any means. He's solid, but not spectacular. But going after him would mean that not only has Purdy regressed immeasurably AND Lance has failed at the Zach Wilson level, but they'd be willing to trade Deebo and maybe someone like Greenlaw to make salary cap room for Cousins, who will be a $40-50m man. Rather than sign say Darnold for a few mil (unless he has ALSO flamed out a la Wilson Lance AND PURDY SMFH). It just defies all logic. Ergo, shut up already.

kind of heartwarming

Football is an amazingly brutal sport, both physically and mentally. A guy like Vince Young rides into the league with only the highest of expectations, and is now and has been for two years relegated to side-car status, being driven around by a pretty marginal QB in Kerry Collins.

Anyway, I digress. What impresses me and restores my faith in humanity - and professional athletes - is that for all the horrible stories of murders and DUIs and general stupidity, once in a while there emerges a pretty heartwarming counter-story.

Steve McNair, the man was obviously not a saint, but he was a man who contributed to his community. So it's good to see that Vince Young is contributing back to the McNair household. This story actually almost, almost brought a tear to my eye. Weird.

gearing up for nfl 2009

Kissing Suzy Kolber is, for the most part, genius. Want a list of reasons? Okay.

a. The name itself is just awesome. My old roommate Dan and I were watching that interview, and we could not believe what we were seeing. Excessive drinking on live TV rules.

b. It's a bunch of wiseass second (or third) career writers slagging shit about the NFL and sports in general. ie. my dream job.

c. Well, I guess that's it. Other than the content.

Anyway. I'm a 49ers fan, have been since Superbowl XXIII when Joe Montana beat the Bengals with a stunning 2-minute drill. (Okay okay, 3-minute drill. Whatever. Why don't you F-off and go practice your 3-minute drill?) Now I'm fan enough to know that compared to the Montana and Young eras, we suck. We're not the Tampa Bay of the '80s, but we sure were/are close and time will only tell if we can save the good name of Eddie Debartolo Jr.

Anyway. I digress. This KSK post about the NFC west is hilarious, and possibly pretty accurate. I dunno, the division is a crap shoot - operative word crap, ha ha - same as last year. Still. Damn I love the NFL.

PS: I gotta try that popcorn bucket thing sometime. Inspired!