Scot McCloughan Day 1 NFL Draft Press Conference
As we head into Day 2 of the draft tomorrow, I'll certainly have plenty of thoughts then and going forward about a first day that has some excited, some decidedly NOT excited, and others somewhere in the middle.
In the meantime, Scot McCloughan held a press conference at the end of the day. Scot spoke about the Crabtree pick and where he'll fit in. He addressed the trade that has people all over the board. He spoke about some of the guys the 49ers passed on and he spoke about some of the options for Day 2 of the draft. We've got some of the transcript here, with the remainder after the jump.
RE: What was the reasoning behind the trade?
“The value of the pick. We had two players pinpointed in the five picks ahead of us, and they both were taken. We did not see a player of the value at that pick for us. Carolina called and sweetened the pot pretty good with next year’s one. I just don’t want to sit there and say, ‘Well, geez, it’s our pick, we’re going to take a player if we don’t think the value of the player is there.’ As everybody is well aware, ones are huge, especially, if we want to do anything with that pick anytime here out to next year, which of course, going into next draft with two No. 1 picks. A lot of things we’ve done, we’ve done in the past. It’s proved out to be good.”
RE: You guys are just a few players away. That second round pick and fourth round pick are two players that might be able to contribute next year.
“Might. Again, I think the depth of this draft isn’t as good as it’s been in the past. Just because we have a pick doesn’t mean we have to take somebody. We’re not just going to add a player just to add a player. He has to have value that helps us at that pick.”
RE: Talk about Crabtree, was there any way you imagined him falling to you? How quickly was that decision made?
“I thought a little bit about it, because of the fact that he did not work out at the combine. He had the foot surgery. I thought that would be the only reason that he would make it to us, in this year’s crop of players up there. But, I really didn’t think it would happen. That’s a long way for a guy like that to fall. ”
RE: Where was he on your board?
“He was high. I don’t want to get into specifics, but he was definitely one of the higher guys.”
RE: What do you like about him from a talent evaluators standpoint?
“Where can I start? The guys’ a two-year, one of the best receivers in college football, 40 touchdowns. I’m impressed with him. He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to Anquan Boldin in college. He’s got excellent hands and he’s got the physical attributes to play on the NFL level and to make plays. He’s a highly competitive guy who’s not afraid, whatsoever. There are faster guys in the draft, no doubt about it. There will be faster guys in the NFL. But he brings a unique quality to play physical and make plays on the NFL level.”
After the jump, Scott McC discusses some of the players the 49ers passed on, as well as more on Crabtree and some discussion about Day 2.
RE: With Brandon Jones coming in, Isaac Bruce coming back, Josh Morgan emerging, how much better are you at receiver today?
“A lot. In my opinion, we got the best receiver in the draft, hands down. Isaac’s getting older. It takes more than two or three, that’s for sure. He’s a rookie. He’s going to come in here and there’s going to be a learning curve for sure. But, again, I really like the pick. I’m very excited to have him in this organization.”
RE: When both receivers got past pick No. 7, is that when you knew you might get Crabtree?
“I didn’t know what would happen at eight. I knew it would be interesting, how it shook out. I felt pretty good about nine. I knew that he would have been the highest rated guy on Green Bay’s board, but with their depth at receiver and the need at other positions, I thought he would get by there. Once he got past eight, I got pretty excited.”
RE: Was he higher than Jeremy Maclin on your board?
“They’re different. He’s a bigger, more physical player. The thing about Maclin that intrigued, he had some return ability. Of course, had better top-end speed. I feel better about Crabtree from the standpoint of just coming out and being able to play, and play early and handle it – press coverage. He’s going to scare some guys because he has some physical strength. ”
RE: Did you care at all about the supposed diva image?
“As you guys are well aware we do tons of background work. We brought him in here, spent the entire day with him. We feel very comfortable about the kind of person he is. Again, it’s important to us to not just get a good football player but a good person to represent the 49ers, and we feel we got both in Michael Crabtree.”
RE: Did he face a lot of double coverage in that system?
“Well, they moved him around a lot. It’s unique. It’s a spread offense. The thing usually, the bigger-body guys usually aren’t as successful because they went on quickness, they went on change of direction. The thing that he was impressive about was the run-after-catch ability. He’s a tough guy to tackle and he’s not afraid to hit you instead of you hitting him. And, excellent hands. I think the 40 touchdowns speak volumes about what kind of player he can be for us. ”
RE: Coach Singletary made it clear there was some consideration given to Michael Oher. Did the choice come down to between those two, either Crabtree or Oher?
“He was one of the guys up there that we talked about. Again, once we got to 10 and Crabtree was there, it was over. He was our pick. I waited for a little while for some phone calls, but for me to trade out of that with Crabtree, it would have had to have been the trade of the century.”
RE: Do you think that it will stick in the back of his mind that he was the second receiver picked today?
“I do. I think you saw his reaction when Heyward-Bey went. You want him to and guys have done that come in with a chip on their shoulder and proved it. That wasn’t a deciding factor whatsoever because he’s the type of guy that I expect to be a good player, but yeah, I guarantee you that he wants to come in and prove something.”
RE: Because of his strength, is he a lot faster with pads on compared to other guys?
“Well, I wouldn’t say a lot faster because once you’re receiving you are talking about vertical threat you see a guy that gets off quick and has a top end and he gets to it right away; He’s not that type of a guy but the thing he has is that he has quickness in and out of breaks and then he has the strength to break tackles which a guy with speed who is undersized catches it, they’re going to tackle him once they get their hands on him. With him he’s going to make his yards by breaking a tackle then going another 10-15 yards.”
RE: Does this turn your depth chart at wide receiver upside down a little bit? Is he a guy that can come in and start immediately?
“He’s got to come in here the same as Patrick Willis, we took him at 11 same thing as Vernon Davis same thing with anybody that we take in the first [round]. They have to come in and earn a spot. The value of the player that I think that he is I think that he’ll earn it and earn it pretty quick but it’s not going to be given to him and you talked about some of the receivers that we have and we feel pretty good about the group as a whole but we do expect him to produce and we do expect him to help us this year.”
RE: Where do you see fitting in through this year?
“I see him playing. I see him coming out here…He probably won’t be 100 percent until training camp with the foot. I see him competing for a job [and] playing time right away but again, it’s not going to be handed to him, he has to prove that he deserves it because the other guys are here working hard. Again, I think that he’ll step up to the challenge and prove to us that we made the right pick.”
RE: Does he project to split end?
“More [at] X.”
RE: That’s where you have Josh Morgan. Do you want your two young stars playing the same position?
“If they’re good football players, most definitely. They’ve got to get out there and play. No one is going to wait around for them. We expect big strides from Josh [Morgan] but you know what, Jerry [Sullivan] has an idea where he wants guys to line up and he want the ‘X’ to be a more physical guy that can beat press coverage.”
RE: Wasn’t Crabtree a ‘Z’ at Texas Tech?
“He was all over the place. It was a spread [offense] but the one thing that’s unique about these guys coming out it’s going to be a bit of a learning curve because they don’t know how to run precise routes, they don’t understand the route tree the way they need to because there not taught that in college anymore. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. We don’t have a problem with his learning ability and I think with his athleticism he’s going to be able to pick it up pretty quickly; how to run routes and with Jerry Sullivan he’ll have no choice but to learn.”
RE: Are you saying that Crabtree could be more physical than Morgan at that split end position right now?
“I think that they’re both physical and that’s why they’re considered ‘Xs’. I think that they’re both considered guys that can beat the press coverage.”
RE: What do you hope to get [out of the draft] tomorrow?
“We have a [third round pick] two 5’s and two sevens. Good football players and were not going to take a guy just to take a guy. There has to be the value of the pick there. If we have to trade again, we’ll trade again. There’s no reason why we wouldn’t trade up so we can go and try to get someone that’s sliding our way. But we want to have good football players and the value will be there. I feel good about it and there’s going to be good players taken tomorrow that end up being good players in the NFL and we have to make sure to identify the right ones and take them.”
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Comments
Sorry, but Scott is not making sense.
How can Scott say there was no value at 2 and give away a 4 as well for hopes next year, when at the same time he is saying he thinks there are good NFL players at 3 and 7 and that if he has to trade up to get one he will? Why not take the best 3 in round 2 and the best 4 in round 3, if they are going to be good NFL players?
Here’s what I don’t get: Basically we took Crabtree, which completely puts Morgan in the twilight zone after a great rookie season. Morgan will very likely be under-used and start to feel like a lot of number 3 receivers and want out of the organization. If Crabtree is eventually the X and the number 1 receiver, and we just paid big bucks for Brandon Jones, and we have Hill, then even when Isaac Bruce retires next year WR is still too crowded.
Meanwhile, we are crying out for a pass rush. The Giants took Sintim right after we made the trade. The Panthers with our 2 picked a round 1 projection Everette Brown to eventually replace Peppers. Are the Panthers and Giants idiots? The Panthers give up a 1 next year for a bust?
Now you can say, well, maybe ’ol Scott is just a great judge of talent in the draft, better than the Panthers and the Giants. And of course New England who are gathering tons of 2nd and 3rd round picks. We KNOW what kind of idiots they are?
So let’s compare, let’s get some outside viewpoint? Look at this article!
Has anyone noticed how bad this team uses it’s draft picks. Look at this depressing list. It would be hard to find a team that has done worse in the last eight years.
2008 Kentwan Balmer DT #29 NOT LOOKING GOOD AT THIS POINT.
2007 Patrick Willis LB #11 *I will never argue this pick
2007 Joe Staley OT #28 GOOD, BUT THE 49ERS GAVE UP A LOT TO TRADE UP.
2006 Manny Lawson LB #22 LOOKING LIKE A BUST AS A PASS RUSHER
2005 Alex Smith QB #1 -—-Welcome Scotty Mac . . .CLOSE TO A BUST
2004 Rashaun Woods WR #31 *BUST—Players below are no longer on the roster—
2003 Kwame Harris OT #26 *BUST
2002 Mike Rumph DB #27 *BUST
2001 Andre Carter DE #7 *Serviceable
2000 Julian Petersen LB #16 *Solid but gone.
2000 Ahmed Plummer DB #24 *BUST
So now we have 2 number 1s next year? Oh, great. There are no assurances.
And we needed to get guys who could win NOW.
I like Singletary, but the 49er defense has been TERRIBLE against good teams — Dallas, New England. We’ve been eaten alive on 3rd down by EVERYONE. We have no pass rush. We need a good safety. We need a running back to spell Frank Gore.
Shonn Green was sitting there at 2. Sintim got taken by the Giants for his pass rushing abilities right after the 2 pick we gave up. Were they nuts? Wm Moore — Atlanta took him as a safety. Dumb? Not worth it? Loadholt, gone, as is Beatty. Dumb old Giants again. What do they know about tough offensive lineman anyway. Pass rush? Connor Barwin, Cody Brown, Pual Kruger — Houston, Baltimore, and Arizona took Cody Brown. We will FEEL that mistake, Shaun Hill especially will feel it, twice a year. Unless, well, none of these guys were really WORTH a round 2 pick! Don’t you get it? They are all getting ripped off? NOT US.. Nose tackle Fili Moala. Colts took him. What idiots! Carolina with the 2 they didn’t give us in the trade — a great safety prospect Sherrod Martin. GOOD THING WE DIDN’T GET HIM! Not worth it. No sir.
It’ll be interesting to see who Scott thinks is worth it in round 3 and then all the way out to round 5, as all sorts of crummy players come off the board, taken by, strangely enough, all the best teams in the NFL.
I have to tell you, I don’t know who is NUTTIER, Scott, or YOU for believing his BS.
They did this to SAVE MONEY this year. Because Crabtree is going to cost us a fortune! And will also completely destroy the career for Josh Morgan until his contract is up and he leaves as fast as possible. He must be furious. He gave it everything he had last year in an insane situation: 2 starting QBs and 2 coordinators and 2 head coaches IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON. Plus he was injured. And he gives us a year like that and, hey, welcome Crabtree. Josh, sit down. You are a back up X now. Thanks for the memories.
Niners suck. It’s going to be a long long time until they are truly great again. Two first rounders next year won’t make up for how they completely screwed up this year’s draft. You want super stars? Watch how many of them there are this year or next in the 2nd round at positions of need that we just said weren’t worth it.
What a mess.
by Since79 on Apr 26, 2009 12:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Glenn Coffee
Puts it on the ground too much. Weak lower body. Not good at changing direction. So why did he do so well at ’Bama? Uh, duh, he was running behind Andre Smith!!!!
We passed on Rasheed Johnson for Glenn Coffee???? Oh wow, Scott, that’s real value. We could have had Shonn Green in the 2nd round and taken Johnson in the 3rd round!
What a mess again.
by Since79 on Apr 26, 2009 8:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Let's look at those McL picks again:
2008 Kentwan Balmer DT #29 NOT LOOKING GOOD AT THIS POINT.
B.S. He was expected to be a player who took a year or two to develop when we picked him. You can not evaluate this pick yet. YOu do not always draft for the player who will have the biggest immediate impact.
I mean, halfway through the season last year people were talking about Rachal being a bust, and then he stepped into the field and significantly improved our O-line. Line play is much more sophisticated in the pros than in college. It makes no sense to talk about Balmer being a disappointment until at least one more season goes by.
2007 Patrick Willis LB #11 *I will never argue this pick
2007 Joe Staley OT #28 GOOD, BUT THE 49ERS GAVE UP A LOT TO TRADE UP.
We got a starting left tackle. We gave up a lot for him? Really? We gave up a first-round pick for him. A starting left tackle is good value for a first-round pick, so the 49ers paid a fair price for him. Had we not made the trade and drafted an offensive tackle, we might have ended up with Ryan Clady – who MIGHT be better than Staley, but isn’t obviously so – Chris Williamson, or Branden Albert (both of whom aren’t as good as Staley. Those were the top three tackles taken after the #7 pick that year,
The other player in that range who might have tempted us was Mayo, but I’m not sure Mayo and Willis really belong on the same field together.
In other words, we got a tackle of comparable quality to the guys we might have gotten after the trade. That’s not “paying too much” for him.
Also, you forgot:
2006 Vernon David TE:
He’s an excellent blocker, and a dangerous but inconsistent receiver. If he can become more consistent, he’ll be one of the top TEs in the league. If he doesn’t, he’ll go down as being drafted 10-20 spots too high.
2006 Manny Lawson LB #22 LOOKING LIKE A BUST AS A PASS RUSHER
He’s been derailed by injuries, and was miss-used under Nolan, so we really don’t know what he’s capable of, yet. Calling him a “bust” is premature. We’ll know much more after this season, if he stays healthy.
2005 Alex Smith QB #1 -—-Welcome Scotty Mac . . .CLOSE TO A BUST
Here’s a pick where I won’t argue with you. Alex Smith would have to give us a major turnaround to avoid the bust label, and it’s appropriate to start using that word with him at this point if he doesn’t.
They aren’t worried about money. They’re well under the cap.
by Ronaldinho on Apr 26, 2009 5:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Also.
It should be worth noting that up until last offseason, Mike Nolan was McCloughan’s superior, so he had the final say on picks and signings. Who knows how much of Nolan is in Davis, Lawson, Smith and all the other draft picks before this year (including Staley and Willis).
by sfgfan on Apr 29, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
RE: What was the reasoning behind the trade?
"The value of the pick. We had two players pinpointed in the five picks ahead of us, and they both were taken."
TRANSLATION: New England outmanuvered us. We then paniced and traded a high second round pick now for a 1st round pick from a playoff team.
by kiyoshi on Apr 27, 2009 11:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Well
I hate how everybody is in love with New England and how they accumulated 100 2nd and 3rd rounders. Who cares. For one nobody outmanuvered the Niners this last weekend the Niners played thier game, and in my opinion won. Scott had said that if we ended up with a great Crabtree and a 1st rounder next year this draft was a win for us.
Also why does everybody assume that this is the Niners last draft ever. The Niners are not going to become an elite team in 1 year. Their defense isnt that bad it was ranked 13th, thats better then half the league. Also i forget where I read it at but the Niners wanted Malaluga (excuse the spelling) once he was taken they decided to go else where. The Panthers rang and said hey we got a 1st for next year you can have.
One more thing its not even pre season and your calling playoff teams already kiyoshi. I dont mean to call you out but id even trade Veron Davis and another piece to get another 1st round for next year. You dont know who will be in the playoffs hell the Cards wernt even projected to be a playoff team let alone a Super Bowl contender my point is, is the Niners are rebuilding and Crabtree, Gore, Morgan, Staley, and Wills are our corner stones. You never know the Niners could pick up Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford next year. Under Singletary expect the Niners to go from 13th in the league defensively to around 9-10th overall. With Crabtree expect the Niners to start winning those games they lost last year buy 3-10 points. The exciting thing for me is the Niners have a tough SCHEDULE and so do the Panthers the Niners could end up with 2 very high picks next year. However I expect the Niners to go 10-6
by oddthomas on Apr 29, 2009 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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