1/4 Season Report: Who Impressed, Who Disappointed

[CowboyRoy]

Point me to whoever said that and I shall give them a glove slap. Waletzko was never gonna be anything but a backup, and a replaceable one at that

Thats what i said also. Now I am exaggerating but i was told over and over he was going to be our solution at swing tackle.

 

[DogFace]

Didn’t Juanyeh Thomas line up at outside corner back one play? Maybe that was from offensive shifts or did they stick him out there a play because he can cover?

I’m with OP. He just keeps making plays when he gets a chance.

 

[AtlCPA]

Now that we have 4 games under our belt, time to see who has exceeded expectations and not met them, and maybe who is still person we think they were. Share your thoughts below.

Exceeded expectations
1. Aubrey - How can anyone anyone argue?
2. Dowdle - has more juice than I thought
3. Tolbert - What a bounce back year
4. Turpin - Part of the offense now
5. TJ Bass - Floor is a long term backup
6. Ferguson - worked hard this offseason
7. Bland - He doubled up in this category
8. J Thomas - Dudes a complete stud
9. Leupke - I LOVE me some good FBs

Disappointing So Far
1. Cooks - Probably more the O scheme
2. Gilmore - I just think he’s lost a step
3. Clarke - Hoping the light comes on soon
4. Fehoko - Not even a role player? Cmon
5. Hendershot - Taken a step backwards
6. Kearse - nervous he’s a liability with age

Par for the Course
Everybody Else

Osa has impressed me this season!

 

[mrmojo]

Has Dorance Armstrong played this year? Haven't heard his name come up much or is he hurt?

 

[hollaback23]

Whole team has been one big disappointment IMO. Defense is a bright spot but has its issues.

Offense as a whole is disgusting and I can’t think of a single bright spot on it. OC/Dak are the worst of that particular aspect.

Kicker has been good too.

All you do is complain.

 

[Manster68]

Osa has impressed me this season!

I can't believe it took to the 42nd response for Osa's name to be mentioned. He's playing at a Pro Bowl level.

 

[Mr_437]

Impressed:
Fergy - can be a Top 10 TE
Ty Smith - at LG > at LT
Rico - knew he could play
Gallup - overcame the ACL
Tolbert - just being useful, STs play
Osa - better all around
DLaw - excellent start
Micah - he's surprisingly faster
Big Hank - anchor, stout
Bland - continues to ascend
Thomas - explosive player
Disappointed:
LVE - soft, slow, doesn't get off blocks
Hendershot - hasn't gotten any better
Sam - thought he would take a leap
Clark - not playing up to his potential
Kearse - too many mistakes from a vet

 

[jterrell]

With 17 games and a bye this isn't really a quarter pole check in but that's OK.

Rather than break them down in groups I'll just cover some individual guys that are perhaps misjudged one way or the other.

Tyron Smith: EXACTLY what he is. Rated 9th by PFF for the games he has been able to play. But not able to play all that much.
TJ Bass: Bass is the 52nd rated OG by PFF. He is not good. But he is young and cheap. We are MARKEDLY better with Tyler and Martin so that is a massive drop off.
TE after Ferguson is not NFL caliber. I'm not even sure Hendershot is ever active again and Schoon should be getting a redshirt year. GM for a day? I'd trade for a legit NFL TE.
But Ferguson is the 6th rated TE and has been a pleasant surprise in all areas outside the red zone. That trade would be for TE2.
RB is kinda trash. TP is a good player and plus runner but he is rated 26th by PFF. Other guys all have less than 50 snaps so no official rank but Dowdle has been very good as a runner and receiver yet embarrassing as a pass blocker. Deuce has been awful as a pass blocker but somehow better than Dowdle.
Luepke is not a good run blocker but does make a very usable 1 back type guy and can pass block a bit. Solid run grades as he sees the holes and hits them. RB is my next biggest area of concern. I'd try David then likely add a vet here and start assigning snaps by who will block at an NFL level. You gotta take the free rusher or get sat down. Use the 4 free weeks of evaluations to try out RBs. Draft a guy earlier next year.

WR: Not good yet. CeeDee is great but Gallup is mid-pack NFL WR and Cooks has been slow to start with an injury and perhaps not a great fit in the WCO. Gallup is pretty good in a WCO and has some interesting potential as a possession WR after being the deep threat early in his career.

Dak has been a plus starter but he's never gotten into high gear. Team has had a massive lead for many of his snaps and seen league leading drops but he has played efficient, winning football to help the team be plus 83 right now. Not much run threat at this point.

Aubrey has been great. He is not a concern which is really all you can ask of a rookie Kicker.

DL has been great as expected. It has the most talent in the NFL and overcomes the nagging injuries with insane depth.
LB is basically LVE and some safeties. Clarke isn't big, Overshown was a safety at times in college and got hurt. Marq Bell is doing well as a depth S/LB.
Kearse is a good box safety in specific asks but he isn't a good off-ball safety. He takes terrible angles when playoff far off.
Dono was injured and still in really weak form but will probably get going soon.
CB has been good but losing Diggs hurts and prevents it from being great.
Bummer they didn't get JC Jackson He is a very talented knucklehead but would have been great for a year as Diggs fill-in.

No player above has been as disappointing as Randy Gregory. So I truly hope no one is serious about adding him. He couldn't make this active gameday roster.

 

[jterrell]

yes, and getting blown off the ball.

Literally has played among the most on our interior DL and had 1 assisted tackle going into last game.

Gallimore was on most people's cut list yet has been a pleasant surprise as a depth DT. He's a non-starter but legit NFL depth DL.
84 snaps on a defense that has dominated 3 out of 4 weeks. Rated 55th out of 129 DT by PFF.

 

[Hadenough]

Micah is a monster but I hope he holds up for the season.

He won't with the way this coaching staff doesn't rest him enough during blowouts. What was he even doing in the game against NE with 4 min left and he came earlier with a noticable limp. That just stupid.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Walenzko i heard all offseason was the next great LT.

I'm disappointed he is hurt also.

 

[Hadenough]

Deuce has been awful as a pass blocker but somehow better than Dowdle.

I don't see Duece as better. Dowdle is a solid #2 behind Pollard.

 

[Jarv]

With 17 games and a bye this isn't really a quarter pole check in but that's OK.

Rather than break them down in groups I'll just cover some individual guys that are perhaps misjudged one way or the other.

Tyron Smith: EXACTLY what he is. Rated 9th by PFF for the games he has been able to play. But not able to play all that much.
TJ Bass: Bass is the 52nd rated OG by PFF. He is not good. But he is young and cheap. We are MARKEDLY better with Tyler and Martin so that is a massive drop off.
TE after Ferguson is not NFL caliber. I'm not even sure Hendershot is ever active again and Schoon should be getting a redshirt year. GM for a day? I'd trade for a legit NFL TE.
But Ferguson is the 6th rated TE and has been a pleasant surprise in all areas outside the red zone. That trade would be for TE2.
RB is kinda trash. TP is a good player and plus runner but he is rated 26th by PFF. Other guys all have less than 50 snaps so no official rank but Dowdle has been very good as a runner and receiver yet embarrassing as a pass blocker. Deuce has been awful as a pass blocker but somehow better than Dowdle.
Luepke is not a good run blocker but does make a very usable 1 back type guy and can pass block a bit. Solid run grades as he sees the holes and hits them. RB is my next biggest area of concern. I'd try David then likely add a vet here and start assigning snaps by who will block at an NFL level. You gotta take the free rusher or get sat down. Use the 4 free weeks of evaluations to try out RBs. Draft a guy earlier next year.

WR: Not good yet. CeeDee is great but Gallup is mid-pack NFL WR and Cooks has been slow to start with an injury and perhaps not a great fit in the WCO. Gallup is pretty good in a WCO and has some interesting potential as a possession WR after being the deep threat early in his career.

Dak has been a plus starter but he's never gotten into high gear. Team has had a massive lead for many of his snaps and seen league leading drops but he has played efficient, winning football to help the team be plus 83 right now. Not much run threat at this point.

Aubrey has been great. He is not a concern which is really all you can ask of a rookie Kicker.

DL has been great as expected. It has the most talent in the NFL and overcomes the nagging injuries with insane depth.
LB is basically LVE and some safeties. Clarke isn't big, Overshown was a safety at times in college and got hurt. Marq Bell is doing well as a depth S/LB.
Kearse is a good box safety in specific asks but he isn't a good off-ball safety. He takes terrible angles when playoff far off.
Dono was injured and still in really weak form but will probably get going soon.
CB has been good but losing Diggs hurts and prevents it from being great.
Bummer they didn't get JC Jackson He is a very talented knucklehead but would have been great for a year as Diggs fill-in.

No player above has been as disappointing as Randy Gregory. So I truly hope no one is serious about adding him. He couldn't make this active gameday roster.

Nice write up, agree with a lot of your takes. Question on Bass though, if he is ranked 52nd by PFF and there are 64 starting guards in the NFL, wouldn't the fact that he is ranked over some 14 starting guards, as a backup, not make him good, but good as a backup?

Thanks again.

 

[jterrell]

I don't see Duece as better. Dowdle is a solid #2 behind Pollard.

Wasn't clear here but meant PFF grades. Dowdle has an insanely off the charts bad 17.x, Deuce is 19.x

Real-time I have seen both blow obvious pass blocking assignments.
Dowdle running right passed a guy and Deuce chipping a blocked guy while a free guy got home.
Both have been really bad in recognition, technique and impact.

 

[jterrell]

Nice write up, agree with a lot of your takes. Question on Bass though, if he is ranked 52nd by PFF and there are 64 starting guards in the NFL, wouldn't the fact that he is ranked over some 14 starting guards, as a backup, not make him good, but good as a backup?

Thanks again.

Thanks!
Chuma is 37th at OT for instance. -- and course has played some OG.
52nd is fine for a backup and especially a 4th OG but not at all meeting the hype. Definitely a roster keeper though!

Terence Steele has a really low grade which does surprise me. He obviously hasn't gotten help with LT being a turnstile due to injury, but I don't recall him being bad in any sense at all.

 

[Ken]

Gallimore was on most people's cut list yet has been a pleasant surprise as a depth DT. He's a non-starter but legit NFL depth DL.
84 snaps on a defense that has dominated 3 out of 4 weeks. Rated 55th out of 129 DT by PFF.

I mean, up until last game....he was terrible, imo. Last game he showed some flashes of being a + player potentially. He bought more time with me with that performance.

 

[jterrell]

I mean, up until last game....he was terrible, imo. Last game he showed some flashes of being a + player potentially. He bought more time with me with that performance.

PFF actually graded him higher in weeks 2 and 3.
He did have a vet performance where he found a tell and beat the snap this poast week but it seems he is simply playing much better than earlier in his career.
He scored unplayable last year.

He is not 27 yet and may find a long NFL future after being a near lock to be cut in TC.

 

[CCBoy]

Wasn't clear here but meant PFF grades. Dowdle has an insanely off the charts bad 17.x, Deuce is 19.x

Real-time I have seen both blow obvious pass blocking assignments.
Dowdle running right passed a guy and Deuce chipping a blocked guy while a free guy got home.
Both have been really bad in recognition, technique and impact.

A lot of this is reflective of the rotations in the offensive line and early season instability in productions.

Myself, I feel that Tony Pollard is vastly being undervalued and much more productive when the offensive line is solid.

 

[jterrell]

A lot of this is reflective of the rotations in the offensive line and early season instability in productions.

Myself, I feel that Tony Pollard is vastly being undervalued and much more productive when the offensive line is solid.

The run blocking is actually far superior to the pass pro but it has been spotty in the RZ which def shades grades some.
TP is our only decent pass pro back so is being asked to do a lot more stuff this year beyond running the ball.
He is still a very good back to be sure.

As the OL settles all the backs should fare much better.
Would be a great week to have a great week on the OL.

 

[CCBoy]

The run blocking is actually far superior to the pass pro but it has been spotty in the RZ which def shades grades some.
TP is our only decent pass pro back so is being asked to do a lot more stuff this year beyond running the ball.
He is still a very good back to be sure.

As the OL settles all the backs should fare much better.
Would be a great week to have a great week on the OL.

The only comment from this fan farther...it will be a very tough week to have SF dictate their passing and running game successes.