Official Updated NN Offseason Discussion Thread (12/2)

FOOCH'S NOTE: Consider this our current Official thread for draft and offseason discussion

As we enter in to Week 13 of the 2009 season, we move another week closer to season end. I hope that our season doesn't end until February, but the likelihood of that happening is looking slim to none right about now. Maybe January, we'll see. There is lots of work still to be done with this team.

Anyhow, smileyman and I have once again this week put together some information on some of the possible candidates (both out of FA and NCAA) we could aquire in the offseason. Each week, we have chosen to take a look at the top 5 players available for two different positions both in free agency as well as rookies making their way in to the NFL next year.

The positions we chose to focus on this week are RB's and WR's. Although we are not in extreme need of these positions with exception to maybe WR, all positions still need to be evaluated. After the jump, we will start with the College Prospects and end with the Free Agents. For those of you who enjoy doing the Mock Drafts, at the bottom I provided the top 5 prospects of each position as I had last week. I will also post the current draft order now that week 12 is out of the way at the very bottom for you all.

TOP 5 NCAA RUNNING BACKS

1. C.J. Spiller (click here for highlights at Clemson)

At 5'11" tall and 200 LBS., this RB has it all; Moves, Speed, Agility, Power, Hands, etc...you name it, he's got it. Some people aren't buying the hype on Spiller and others (in the NFL) cannot wait to get them on their roster. Even as a 2nd back or a 3rd down back to start with, Spiller demonstrates the ability to take it to the house any time he touches the ball. Another quality he gives the team that drafts him is the ability to return punts and kickoffs. Whoever lucks out and drafts Spiller next year will benefit a few times from TD's on special teams I suspect. Overall a great pick for any team that is currently struggling in all facets on offense... especially if he goes later on in the 1st.

2. Evan Royster (click here for highlights at Penn State)

Royster could easily be considered a 1st string RB for select teams next season. This past year with Penn State he has consistantly had big games. He is slightly taller than an average RB at 6-1 and is roughly 225 pounds. His hands are a bit questionable but he is a gamebreaker and can bust it wide open at any given time. He has decent moves, decent speed and at times is hard to bring down. I am thinking he will go late 1st or early 2nd. I will be surprised if he goes later. He may fit well somehwere that already has an established RB in place that may be getting up there in age.

3. Johnathon Dwyer (click here for highlights at Georgia Tech)

A.K.A. "The D-Train" or "The Diesel". The one thing that could be said about Dwyer is that he runs the ball very hard every time he gets it. Never takes a play off and provides good blocking out of the backfield on pass plays. At 6'0" 235 LBS, Dwyer is very much considered to be a north and south type of guy...a power back if you will. He has displayed good hands out of the backfield and is a very solid pick. My thoughts are that he will go mid to late 2nd and probably be 2nd string with moderate playing time next year in the NFL.

4. Jahvid Best (click here for highlights at California)

5'10" 200 LBS, Best has received attention lately due to his injuries. He is a local guy that alot of people living in the bay area would like to see playing for the 49ers. Best is very quick and very shifty. Like Spiller, he can take it to the house any time he touches the ball. Toward the end of the season his stock has dropped some due to a pair of concusions; the last of the two looked deadly as it happend. Although he has dropped some, a team will be very fortunate to pick him up in the 2nd or possibly 3rd round. I will look for Best to at first primarily be a return guy. I am not so sure he will be an every down type of back in the NFL but the RB certainly does not lack the homerun factor. Alot of comparisons have been made to Reggie Bush.

5. Ben Tate (click here for highlights at Auburn)

Tate is a good back that will fit well in to any offense. Auburn has ran him in many different looks and I think that Pro scouts will consider that very much. He stands 5'11" tall and weighs about 220 give or take a few pounds. He has the ability to crush it up the middle or he has speed enough to bounce it to the outside. Although he has decent enough speed to get it to the outside, I don' think he has speed enough in the NFL to do what he has done in college on the outside. I look for Tate to go somewhere in the early to mid 3rd round.

Honorable Mention:

Noel Devine (click here for highlights at West Virginia)

Kendall Hunter (click here for highlights at Oklahoma State) 

TOP 5 NCAA WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Dez Bryant (click here for highlights at Oklahoma State)

Bryant in my opinion will be the very first WR picked in the draft despite what happened with the whole Deion Sanders thing and for good reason. Brilliant would be a word appropriate to describe some of the amazing catches he has made. Whenever there was a crucial time to catch a ball, he came up clutch. His game will translate well in to the NFL and he will be starting somewhere next year making plays. His speed is on par with what a WR's should be in the NFL and he catches the ball very well. He is on the larger side for a WR at 6'2" 220 and will make defensive backs pay for trying to tackle him.

2. Damian Williams (click here for highlights at USC)

Williams has pimped his stock status (as the rapper Xzibit would say) late in the year. He has proven that he is a leader and he may be starting as a number two wideout or a slot guy. Williams is one of the faster WR's coming out this year and has made some really good plays for the Trojans while playing for them. He is an average sized WR at 6'1" 190" but makes up for it by shaking people loose. I look for Williams to go late in the 1st or early 2nd.

3. Arrelious Benn (click here for highlights at Illinois)

AKA "Rejus". Much like Bryant he is on the bigger side of what a WR typically is at 6'2" 220. Benn did not have the best year statistically but has made big plays in big games. This is important because when NFL scouts are at games, the big plays tend to stand out. Benn has done this often enough to get himself recognized as one of the top prospects going in to the NFL. I switched Benn with Williams from the previous week and meant to have Williams ahead of Benn originally. Benn will most likely go in the 2nd sometime.

 4. Brandon LaFell (click here for highlights at LSU)

Lafell could quite possibly go higher than this if he does well at the combine. His field awareness is incredible and he has bailed his QB out of some jams this year. He does drop passes sometimes but I am unsure if it is on par with what is acceptable from a pro scouts perspective. His moves after the catch are pretty fun to watch. Overall, he is well deserving of being in the top 5 WR's picked. Lafell is tall at 6'3" and weighs 205 LBS but is deceptively fast for his height. It will not surprise me if his stock is bumped up before the draft.

5. Marshawn Gilyard (click here for highlights at Cincinnati)

This WR is very light and very quick. His ability to go after a ball that is a little off here or there has helped Tony Pike in his campaign to be considered among the top QB's in the league. Gilyard was Pike's favorite target at Cincinnati and he earned it by giving him an absolute target. I was torn on putting Gilyard at this spot and wanted to put either "Bey Bey" Thomas from Georgia Tech, Jacoby Ford from Clemson, or Dezmon Briscoe from Kansas. Gilyard is just super fast and has that homerun feel to him.

Honorable Mention:

Demaryius Thomas (click here for highlights at Georgia Tech) rlott#42's good find!

Jacoby Ford (click here for highlights at Clemson)

Here now is the piece on the Free Agents written by smileyman. Enjoy!

RB FREE AGENTS

There are some well known running backs coming out in Free Agency next year (assuming that we get a new CBA of course). If the Niners need to we should be able to land one of them without too much difficulty. Here are the best free agents based on their production this year, plus a couple who didn't make the leaderboard but are intriguing possibilities.

1. Ronnie Brown (Click here for highlights)
Age: 27
Seasons: 5th
Status: UFA (RFA if no new CBA)
Salary: $9.3 million
Stats: 147 attempts, 648 yards, 4.4 ypc, 8 TDs
Summary: Brown was placed on IR November 18th ending his season. Ricky Williams is the more productive back for that team, gaining more ypc, as well as being a threat through the air. Ronnie Brown's injury may have hurt his FA prospects as teams will be leery of signing a RB with a foot problem. With Ricky Williams planning on retiring at the end of the 2010 season I'll be surprised if Brown doesn't sign an extension with Miami.

2. Pierre Thomas (Click here for highlights)
Age: 24
Seasons: 3rd
Status: RFA
Salary: $375,760
Stats: 116 carries, 648 yards. 5.6 ypc. 20 receptions for 135 yards.
Summary: The Saints are severely underpaying Thomas. However, being that he's a restricted free agent I expect them to tender the highest RFA offer to him or extend his contract. I'm not sure that he's worth trading draft picks for.

3. Cadillac Williams (Click here for highlights)
Age: 27
Seasons: 5th season
Status: UFA (RFA if no new CBA)
Salary: $3.2 million
Stats: 127 carries, 480 yards, 3.9 ypc, only 3 TDS. 19 receptions for 129 yds.
Summary: I'm not sure that Williams was worth the 5th overall pick that Tampa Bay used on him. He had 1178 yards his rookie season and since then has been injury plagued and hasn't broken the 1000 yard mark. It's doubtful if he'll do it this year either. Some team somewhere will want him but not for his current salary.

4. Darren Sproles (Click here for highlights)
Age: 26
Seasons: 4th season
Salary: $6.6 million
Stats: 69 attempts, 227 yards, 3.3 ypc, 1 TD.
Summary: San Diego has definitely gotten value from Sproles. Picked in the 4th round (130th overall) he as contributed to the team as a change of pace back and return man extraordinare. The stats don't tell the whole story on Sproles. The Chargers thought enough of him last year to franchise him (thus the $6 million salary). They won't franchise him again, and I don't think that they want to pay that kind of money for a long term deal. I doubt any other team will be willing to pay $6.6 million/yr for a back that doesn't play every down either. He should be worth going after, just not at that price.

5. Leon Washington (Click here for highlights)
Age: 27
Seasons: 4th season
Salary: $451,000
Stats: 72 attempts, 331 yards, 4.6 ypc. 15 receptions, 131 yds.
Summary: As with Sproles the stats don't tell the whole story with Leon Washington. He's a shifty runner, who is best used as a change of pace back. His stats this year are way down since he was placed on IR in October. He's a good kick returner as well. Him being hurt should make him cheaper to pick up and his name recognition is lower than Sproles' as well. I think he's also worth going after.

Some other notable names in FA

Jerius Norwood (26) (Click for highlights)
Chester Taylor (29) (Click for highlights)
Willie Parker (28) (Click for highlights)

Of the running backs I would think that Sproles and Washington will both be available if we want them. Sproles will probably get a contract in the $3 million range, but we should be able to get Leon Washington for much less if we want to.

WR FREE AGENTS

1. Vincent Jackson (Click here for highlights)
Age: 26
Seasons: 5th season
Salary: $524,320
Stats: 49 Rec, 815 yards, 7 TDs
Summary: Until last year Vincent Jackson was merely a solid #2 or #3 WR. Last year he had a career year with 1098 yards on 59 receptions. This year he's on pace to do even better. San Diego is in a tough position this offseason with Sproles, Jackson, and McNeil all being UFAs. It looks as if Jackson is just hitting his stride and could be a very interesting pickup for us.

2. Brandon Marshall (Click here for highlights)
Age: 25
Seasons: 4th season
Status: UFA
Salary: $2.2 million
Stats: 58 receptions, 714 yards, 6 TDs.
Summary: Brandon Marshall is a true #1 receiver. His salary is actually inflated because he hit bonuses in his rookie contract--otherwise he would just be paid league minimum this year. It's understandable why he held out at the beginning of the year. He feels like he should be paid more and his play demonstrates that. Since becoming a starter in 2007 Marshal has put up very impressive numbers (1325 yds in 2007, 1265 yds in 2008). He's also been troubled off the field. He seems reconciled to Josh McDaniles now so I expect Denver to resign him. If they don't there will be lots of teams who want him.

3. Braylon Edwards (Click here for highlights)
Age: 26
Seasons: 6th season
Status: UFA
Salary: $4.55 million
Stats: 20 receptions, 321 yds, 2 tds.
Summary: The stats don't tell the whole story here. Edwards forced his way out of Cleveland (it must be bad there--Edwards and Cedric Benson both forced their way out and have both excelled with their new teams) and has only played 7 games for the Jets. He's looked really good in those 7 games, especially since they have a rookie QB throwing to him. I expect him to get resigned by NY for a long-term contract.

4. Miles Austin (Click here for highlights)
Age: 25
Seasons: 4th season
Salary: $1.45 million
Status: UFA
Stats: 42 receptions, 824 yards, 8 TDs
Summary: We should all be familiar with Miles Austin by now. The Cowboys acquired Roy Williams in the offseason to be their #1WR, but instead it's Austin who's stepped up in a big way. He's only started 6 games this season but has proven that he's worthy of the #1 spot. His average of 9 yards after the catch is the best in the league right now. He's easily on pace for 1000 yards receving. I'll be shocked if the Cowboys don't lock him up. Jerry Jones has shown that he's willing to shell out the bucks and I expect him to do that for Austin. If not he'll be heavily courted in the off-season.

5. Steve Breaston (Click here for highlights)
Age: 26
Seasons: 3rd season
Status: RFA
Salary: $460,000
Stats: 43 receptions, 571 yards, 3 TDs
Summary: Breaston has turned in a disappointing year thus far. Last season he had a 1000 yard year, but it looks like he's not going to do that this year (especially if Warner's concussion symptoms linger). His YPC is nearly identical as last year (13.1 compared to 13.3), so he's still very effective--just not being targeted as often. He's a very effective #2 guy. I would expect AZ to offer him at least a level 2 ($1.01 million), or Level 3 ($2.198 million). For a 1000 yd receiver $2 million a year is very reasonable. If they do that a competing team would have to give up 1st rounder to get him. I expect that he stays with AZ.

Some other notable names in FA

Click on the names themselves for highlights below.

Terrell Ownes (I'm sure he's done in Buffalo after this year)
Antonio Bryant (signed a 1 year $9.8 million dollar contract and has had a very unproductive year)
Derrick Mason (Been a very consistent 1000 yd receiver since he came into the league. Is 35 this year and might retire)

Of the top players at the WR spot that are available this year I'd love to see us grab Vincent Jackson or Miles Austin. I don't think that Austin will be available to us but Jackson might be. How cool would it be for us to lock up both Sproles and Jackson in the offseason?

 And once again the top 5's from last week:

Quarterbacks

1. Jake Locker

2. Tony Pike

3. Jimmy Clausen

4. Colt McCoy

5. Sam Bradforfd

Running Backs

1. C.J. Spiller (Clemson)

2. Evan Royster (Penn State)

3. Johnathon Dwyer (Georgia Tech)

4. Jahvid Best (California)

5. Ben Tate (Auburn)

Wide Receivers

Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)

Damian Williams (USC)

Arrelious Benn (Illinois)

Brandon LaFell (LSU)

Marshawn Gilyard (Cincinnati)

Tight Ends

1. Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma)

2. Ed Dickson (Oregon)

3. Anthony McCoy (USC)

4. Dedrick Epps (Miami)

5. Aaron Hernandez (Florida)

Tackles

1. Russell Okung (Oklahoma State)

2. Bryan Bulaga (Iowa)

3. Bruce Campbell (Maryland)

4. Ciron Black (LSU)

5. Trent Williams (Oklahoma)

Guards

1. Mike Pouncey (Florida)

2. Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)

3. Mike Iupati (Idaho)

4. Dan Doering (Iowa)

5. Rodney Hudson (Florida State)

Centers

1. John McNeil (Tennessee)

2. Chris Hall (Texas)

3. John Estes (Hawaii)

4. Kristopher O'Dowd (USC)

5. Stefen Wisniewski (Penn State)

Defensive Ends

1. Greg Hardy (Ole Miss)

2. Brandon Lang (Troy)

3. Carlos Dunlap (Florida)

4. Jermaine Cunningham (Florida)

5. Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)

Defensive Tackles

1. Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska)

2. Terrence Cody (Alabama)

3. Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma)

4. Arthur Jones (Syracuse)

5. Allen Bailey (Miami)

Outside Linebackers

1. Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)

2. Sergio Kindle (Texas)

3. George Selvie (South Florida)

4. Greg Jones (Michigan State)

5. Navorro Bowman (Penn State)

Inside Linebackers

1. Brandon Spikes (Florida)

2. Rolondo McClain (Alabama)

3. Joe Pawelek (Baylor)

4. Micah Johnson (Kentucky)

5. Sean Lee (Penn State)

Corners

1. Joe Haden (Florida)

2. Trevard Lindley (Kentucky)

3. Patrick Robinson (Florida State)

4. Kyle Wilson (Boise State)

5. Syd'Quan Thompson (California)

Safeties

1. Eric Berry (Tennessee)

2. Taylor Mays (USC)

3. Earl Thomas (Texas)

4. Reshad Jones (Georgia)

5. Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)

Here is the current order of the draft. It will change a bit here and there before season end but for the most part, the top picks shouldn't move much and the bottom as well. The middle of the pack will reposition from week to week and from there I don't guess that it will change all that much.

1. Browns (1-10) – (Held)
2. Bucs (1-10) – (Held)
3. Rams (1-10) – (Held)
4. Lions (2-9) – (Held)
5. Redskins (3-8) – (Held)
6. Chiefs (3-8) – (Previously 9th)
7. Raiders (3-8) – (Previously 8th)
8. 49ers from Panthers (4-7) – (Previously 13th)
9. Broncos from Bears (4-7) – (Previously 10th)
10. Seahawks (4-7) – (Previously 5th)
11. Bills (4-7) – Previously 7th)
12. Dolphins (5-6) – (Previously 18th)
13. Jets (5-6) – (Previously 12th)
14. 49ers (5-6) – (Previously 11th)
15. Texans (5-6) – (Previously 16th)
16. Titans (5-6) – (Previously 14th)
17. Jaguars (6-5) – (Previously 21st)
18. Giants (6-5) – (Previously 24th)
19. Steelers (6-5) – (Previously 20th
20. Falcons (6-5) – (Previously 15th)
21. Ravens (6-5) – (Previously 17th)
22. Seahawks from Denver (7-4) – (Previously 23rd)
23. Eagles (7-4) – (Previously 22nd)
24. Packers (7-4) – (Previously 19th)
25. Cardinals (7-4) – (Held)
26. Patriots (7-4) – (Previously 29th)
27. Chargers (8-3) – (Held)
28. Cowboys (8-3) – (Held)
29. Bengals (8-3) - (Previously 26th)
30. Vikings (10-1) – (Held)
31. Saints (11-0) – (Held)
32. Colts (11-0) – (Held)

Make sure to Rec this... those of you who would like to keep it up until next weeks... Thanks to all...