49ers Offseason Moves: Addressing Special Teams
by David Fucillo on Aug 4, 2011 12:00 PM PDT
in 49ers Roster
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PrintOver the course of the offseason, the 49ers have made a variety of moves that will likely shore up a special teams unit that had its struggles last season. The loss of Michael Robinson to Seattle and Scott McKillop to injury cost the team two of its top special teams players and at times the unit played accordingly. Football Outsiders ranked them 22nd in special teams with their biggest weakness coming in kickoff coverage. FO ranked the 49ers 30th in the NFL on their kickoff coverage.
The 49ers will have McKillop back in the lineup and they've added Colin Jones in the draft and Blake Costanza in free agency. Jones was a safety at TCU but was brought in to basically a specialist on the special teams units. With some blazing speed, if he can get off the blockers he could prove to be valuable on kickoff and punt coverage. Costanza was apparently a special teams demon for 49ers special teams coordinator Brad Seely. He was left untendered by the Browns, so they didn't value him incredibly. It will be interesting to see if Seely is able to get him on to the roster for special teams duties.
These additions and returns should benefit special teams, but for kickoff coverage in particular it will be interesting to see how the new rules affect touchbacks and returns. That will be something worth keeping an eye on through the preseason. We might see touchdown returns because of newly formed special teams units, but the touchbacks will be worth keeping an eye on starting next week.
Kickoff rule aside, do the 49ers offseason additions give you more confidence in the special teams units? Or does it make much difference at this point?
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brad seely
gives me loads more confidence. ST players tend to be those on the bubble, so the fact that they have Spillman, Jones, and Costanza fighting for the 1-2 spots left is great. I also like the culliver, kyle williams, rojo and ginn all have experience as return men. Finally looks like they’re not treating special teams like something that can be fixed by signing a player or two (see ginn, 2010).
To be fair
signing ginn did significantly improve the ST.
(Although cutting M-Rob still ranks as inexcusable to me. What if we got both Spillman and M-Rob?)
I would have liked to see him as our Masoli right now
Emergency QB (Penn State QB) and RB.
Why M-Rob wasn’t our Taser QB I don’t know. WHY MICHAEL SPURLOCK? WHY WHY?
it was horrible
after we lost him, because our st really sucked outside of mckillop..
good point on the Mrob QB versatility..i forgot about that too..of course creative and singletary didnt exactly go together.
Plus —we forget the biggest plus Mrob could bring…byebye moran
sorry to go off topic
but 49ers.com is a piece of ess. Been trying to lock down training camp tix since yesterday for tomorrow and that thing just sucks!
*Really not sure where else to post this… my bad.
probably tried to confirm tix online about 50 times...
first it wouldn’t advance to confirmation, then finally today it did and then it just ran forever. Tried calling this morning, finally got through to talk to someone, he told me he’d connect me to a rep, then promptly disconnected me. Now the link for tix is gone and it just says to call. Line is continuously busy…
rough
I don’t live in CA anymore, so all that TC stuff is irrelevant to me. I hope you get your problem solved!
Have you tried other browsers?
Link is gone now anyway...
but, my browser wasn’t the problem. I’m fairly internet savvy and am working with mostly the latest stuff in terms of my techno swag.
fooch it will be interesting
the new kicking rule (fiver yards closer) will have kickers:
A) go for the easy touchbacks now (there’ll be alot going out of the endzone)
or
B) go for high and deep pinning for teams with weak return games
It will be interesting to see the new strategies employed here..Im just glad we have a good coach and good players..both will impact the underrated special teams area.
B
are you talking about kicking it high and landing it on the 5 or something?
Also, if a kickoff rolls into the endzone, is it a touchback? I know punts are.
If a player catches the ball in the endzone after it had hit the 2 yard line, is that a touchback or a saftey?
not an automatic touchback, no
its anyones ball
by Call It The Throw on Aug 4, 2011 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
if the ball already came down outside the end zone
i think that’s a safety.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
yes
High kicks (similiar to punts) that pin the returner back. However, Im not sure how easy that is to do from a tee..punting is a whole lot easier (having done some myself).
Yes, I believe if the punt rolls into the endzone it is a touchback or if it lands in the endzone it is a touchback. Not sure if lands OB in endzone (depending on sides or back) what it is, but leaning to touchback.
It’d only be a safety if the offensive player touched it, came out, and then came back in while being tackled inside the endzone.
It depends where the player catches in endzone or out—if in touchback.
I was going to say, kicking from the ground must make high kicks hard
I was asking about the touchback situation. I’m just not sure if the ball being on the ground before the endzone counted as “the runner leaving the endzone” even if he didn’t catch the ball yet.
if im understanding this right
were picturing a football rolling and there are two teams moving around it (offensive/returning and defensive/kicking).
The ball must be touched by offensive player before any defensive player can touch it. If defensive player touches it first, it becomes a dead ball at spot of touch.
If offensive player touches it is live/free ball.
If said offensive player catches in endzone and kneels or signals fair catch its a touchback.
If they do not signal and leave endzone and come back in and are tackled or go out of bounds = safety.
i suppose if they
fumble or simply touch ball in endzone it is a live ball there..
does that answer what you were asking?
lol I'm more confused now
I thought anybody could touch the ball on kickoffs without waiting for the other side. (hence, onside kicks)
ok: kickoffs, NOT punts
team A kicks off
ball bounces on the 2 yd line,
ball then bounces into player B, who’s in the end zone
B gets tackled before leaving end zone.
safety or touchback?
It's a safety
All kickoffs are live balls after they travel 10 yards.
If you kickoff and the ball rolls into the end zone and the kicking team recovers, it’s a touchdown.
If the returner gets tackled in the endzone, it’s a safety.
thanks Oug!
I guess I’ll just watch the damn season and see if this comes up.
I would have guessed safety using gut intuition, but I thought I saw stuff like this become touchbacks before.
I've seen the first one happen back in the 80's
There was some confusion as to which return man was going to take it, the deep one ran up to block, and the front man let it go over his head too and they got about 10 yards downfield before they realized nobody had the ball. TD for the kicking team.
Wanting to say Buffalo, but maybe Tampa.
I know that it's a TD if the kicking team recovers
but I always thought if the receiving team gets it it’s a TB.
Like, I thought I saw kneeling in the endzone after an in-play bounce.
Oh well, it’s probably not gonna be an issue.
Seen that too IIRC
But it wasn’t a kneel, it was a fumble that the player was trying to recover but knocked out of bounds inside the end zone. 2 points.
One reason why I think FB > other sports
even the transitions between offense and defense are fantastically exciting
Nothing is as exciting as European "futball"
He passes.. he passes.. he passes… the ball rolls off the side.. somebody jogs over to get it.
Yawn.
haha same here
Most sports are “too random” for me. Lack of firm possession means you can’t do anything strategically.
Soccer timing rules ruin it for me. Clock always runs. Ref arbitrarily adds time at the end, (nobody can predict it), Game suddenly over when he thinks it is.
And the offside rule is absurd
Maybe.
I was hoping they’d change the rules so it’s sorta like icing hockey. After a certain line, it’s okay to go offsides.
I just don’t like the logic behind it. If the opponent is coming at you, guard him!
The long ball cherry picking would be remedied by the “icing” rule
I referee soccer
I’ve had numerous discussions with people on the offside rule…
I accepted long ago that soccer will never be understood/loved like it is in the rest of the world. I’m fine with America getting all hyped up for the WC every 4 years. Best we can hope for :-(
The ball must be touched by offensive player before any defensive player can touch it. If defensive player touches it first, it becomes a dead ball at spot of touch.
pretty sure that’s just punts, not kickoffs.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
I spent years
wondering what the difference was between onside kicks and regular kicks, in terms of rules. Turns out the only difference is on the field, not in the rule book.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
technically, I think so
it’s just incredibly difficult to get such vertical force on a ball thats on the ground
if thats the case
we need to keep fabrio s. and have him boom them up to the 10..our new secret strategy..
ooh
i hadn’t thought of that. I wonder what kind of hangtime he can get.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
49ers
trying to trade Taylor Mays
weird
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
http://twitter.com/#!/MaioccoCSN
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
maybe some off the field stuff
giving up on a guy with those physical skills after a year seems harsh
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
I've been saying it since early 2009.
Taylor Mays isn’t very good.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
I call horse-poo on that sentiment
because that is 5 words (actually 6 words, contracted to 5), not 3
AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
49ers sent out a mass email this afternoon to teams around the league to try and trade safety Taylor Mays.
Jim Harbaugh doesn't just WANT winners, he MAKES them!
So does that mean Singletary imposed his will and forced Baalke to draft Mays with our 2010 second pick? Or is Baalke better at quickly admitting draft mistakes than McCloughan and Nolan were?
Jim Harbaugh doesn't just WANT winners, he MAKES them!
Probably the new coaches
The DB coach might be seeing that there’s not the potential there for him to be the player he was predicted to be…
Someone here mentioned that he has the athleticism to play in the box like Polomalu, but really needs the intelligence there to read the play. Quite possibly the team is realizing that he’s not of the IQ to play within his physical skillset.
sad. wasted 2nd rounder. hopefully he’s still viewed as valuable somewhere in the NFL….
Either is fine with me.
The 49ers enthusiasm for Mays (I heard he was one of about 5 players they really wanted in that draft) was one of the biggest doubts I had about Trent Baalke. I’m feeling more and more confident in this guy.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
i guess this means we are going to re-sign Goldson
@RajGill
Ready for #6
by bayarearep94 on Aug 4, 2011 12:37 PM PDT up reply actions
and that Reggie Smith
is ready
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
Also strange
why the mass email? That sounds rather desperate.
Plus, isn’t the safety market pretty low demand right now? (see: Goldson)
Yea..
both of those questions are viable. I have no idea why they would give up on someone with so much “upside” so soon.
I'm wondering if mass emails like that
are more common than they are reported. It only seems logical if you want to trade a guy that you would get the word out like that. Even if they weren’t desperate, I doubt teams are calling just to randomly ask if Mays in on the trading block.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
Yeah, I guess
I thought the NFL had a “forum” for GM’s and stuff. How else do you arrange trades on draft day? randomly calling teams?
yeah, just phones, I believe.
maybe we should set up SB Nation General Manager. I’ll run it and charge a fortune for non-GMs to subscribe.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
not really
we’ll get something from him in a trade.
But yeah, if it’s lower than a 2nd or 3rd, that’s sad
It will be waaaay lower
No one is giving up a 2nd round pick for a guy the Niners have decided was not worth a 2nd round pick.
I’m thinking 5th round or lower.
by Call It The Throw on Aug 4, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
yes..
we need to get a player back..hopefully a good one that just doesnt fit a systemt but would fit ours..
I can't see anyone trading a quality player
for a guy who got benched on Day 1 of training camp in favor of C.J. Spilllman.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
Who did we get with that 6th rounder
that we got for Kentwan Balmer?
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
Mighta been Ronald Johnson.
I’ll look it up later. I seem to remember the 49ers only keeping two of their original 7 picks, even though they ended up drafting like 9 players.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
once again
valid link??? the maiocco one didnt have anthing..is this just a rumour to stir up the masses?
ALLsportsINTEL twitter
BREAKING NFL NEWS- Sources Reporting that 49ers are backing out of negotiations with WR Braylon Edwards, a deal is unlikely at this point.
What the Hell is happening
@RajGill
Ready for #6
by bayarearep94 on Aug 4, 2011 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions
i dont want Braylon
prefer somebody who isn’t so troubled
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
He will probably get suspended
Don’t need that anyway. We want to have a strong start this season.
I'm in business of giving the business and business is booming!
Everyone panic!
The FO sucks again!
by Call It The Throw on Aug 4, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions
haha.
of course, we’re probably just tanking for Luck…
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
If anyone offers a third I would take it and run
@RajGill
Ready for #6
by bayarearep94 on Aug 4, 2011 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions
mattbarrows Matt Barrows
re: Schefter’s Tweet. Now we know what Mike Singletary and Trent Baalke were arguing over in the 2nd RD on draft day last year.
Would Baalke admit his own mistake?
Its got to be Sing
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
by EcERyda69 on Aug 4, 2011 12:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
wow, I wonder who Baalke wanted....
@RajGill
Ready for #6
by bayarearep94 on Aug 4, 2011 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Siiiiiiing
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
by EcERyda69 on Aug 4, 2011 12:47 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
2nd rounders of note after Mays
Javier Arenas
Toby Gerhart
Terrence Cody
Ben Tate
Montario Hardesty
Golden Tate
Brandon Spikes
Pat Angerer
I'd love to have Terrence Cody
and can’t believe that he fell so far. I guess that’s what makes the Ravens perennial contenders and us garbage.
it might have been bowman in the second if not for mays.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh well
if we had this kind of foresight, we’d be the best GM’s in the world.
Plus, we’d be fabulously successful investors
Well he did both of those things well in college.
It wasn’t that much of a stretch for him to do it well in the NFL.
Cody, Arenas:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2009/6/23/921818/2010-49ers-mock-draft-just-in-case
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
haha, I didn't even hear that guy's name for at least 6 more months.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
Dashon sounding off on Mays
@thehawk38
Dashon Goldson
Not gonna comment on wht I jus heard about T Mays jus gonna do this….SMH c’mon man
@RajGill
Ready for #6
I guess
nothing makes sense anymore
@RajGill
Ready for #6
by bayarearep94 on Aug 4, 2011 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
wow, mays is either upset or happy
he may be mad that he is not wanted here but may be happy that he may go somewhere and be able to start.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
this is good news for goldson....... goldson and reggie smith would be the starters.
I rather have mays though.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
I am trying to. lol
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions
that is what I am thinking
with goldson not signed I though for sure mays would have a chance to be a starter, not….
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions
what is this supposed to mean?
Not gonna comment on wht I jus heard about T Mays jus gonna do this….SMH c’mon man
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
its either means
mays fucked up and Goldson heard about it or he is shaking his head at the 49ers
Sam Fuld is the more accomplished Major League Hitter- Gordon Wittenmeyer
although this thread did kind of just explode in gamethread-like fashion.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
That's sad,
I really liked the draft pick and was totally enamored by Mays’s punt block recovery toe-tap in the endzone
that was awesome.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions
shaking my head
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
I think you are right. I think this means that goldson may be coming back.
rather have mays than goldson. goldson is just average safety. mays could develop into a good or great safety.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess he is Vikings bound then lol
I'm in business of giving the business and business is booming!
i wonder what they can get now...a 4th rounder maybe? It's strange that our staff isn't interested in development
they must really like Colin Jones?
no wonder why micheal lewis was pissed off last year. sing was telling him one thing and baalke was telling him something different.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Boy, this offseason hasn't lacked for drama, huh?
What’s really strange is that we are getting a lot of good news out of TC, I think (minus the injuries, of course) but this other stff has been really stressful
When was the last time we had a non-bizarre offseason?
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
last year was better
a guy straight up quitting football, a first rounder leaving, QB competition, Yahoo! infiltration and more
Yahoo infiltration was midway into the season
after Mike Silver reported how Jimmy Raye garbled his calls.
But that Coffee thing was pretty strange. Balmer leaving was meh. We’re gonna have another QB comp were it not for the short time.
Raye made his case for why he should remain as the offensive coordinator
but the message was garbled
I think when he was ordering wristbands
he misread the bubble wrap, thus explaining why bubble screens were the only passes we did.
dang, was gonna use a 'gore' pun
but couldn’t think of a way to using a pen to gore up the middle of the wrap
when is the last time the 49ers were involved in a trade not including the draft
@RajGill
Ready for #6
Ginn?
Or does that still count as “including the draft”.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
shuan hill, kentwan balmer, ted ginn jr. all last year.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Reg Smith
MaioccoCSN Matt Maiocco
Reggie Smith is off to good start and @AdamSchefter reports 49ers sent email to NFL teams offering Taylor Mays. http://bit.ly/qLex5B
Think it might have to do with his strong start
What if he goes down, though?
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
They wouldn't trade a guy just because he lost his starting job.
Gotta be at least something else to it.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
Teams will probably wait until they see him in pre season games
To make an offer
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
by EcERyda69 on Aug 4, 2011 1:04 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Niners probably just doing what the Giants did with Osi.
They want to gauge his value.
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
sadly. niners will only be able to get a late round pick for him
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions
So you are saying Taylor Mays is like a new car?
Minute you drive it off the lot, it depreciates?
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
I don't see how it is any different than the Giants using the media as a source to market to ALL teams with Osi.
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
Taylor Mays is unproven thus far
I would think that the fact that the team is willing to trade him after only 1 yr would scare off some teams.
personally I think goldson is unproven this far.
"You know whats funny? I always thought uhm dogs lay eggs and I learned something new today" Peter Griffin
by HUNGRY HUNTER on Aug 4, 2011 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions
There is more to the story obviously than what we are seeing on the surface.
Maybe the Eagles want him… I know they wanted him in the draft.
Niners could just seeing if they could get more for him first before dealing to Philly
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
So basically we'd be trading for Nate Clements of two years ago.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
So what exactly is the "proper" way to place a player on the trade block?
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
ask the guy if he has a preference and contact that team first
then send a mass email to all teams to milk the deal and embarrass the player.
more like a LeBron deal
except the player is the one who gets surprised.
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
you stand him on a scaffold
with a scarlet T stitched on his jersey
by brundylop on Aug 4, 2011 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, the fail was on my part
It’s been a while since I read it. I wasn’t sure if Hester was blindfolded or not.
Mays wants out maybe he thinks he should start and our staff doesn't agree...just don't see any value for him
maybe the email will prove to him that he isnt valued around the league either…like Osi
Wow
MaioccoCSN Matt Maiocco
As of Thursday (that’s today), the 49ers are $22.57 million under the NFL’s salary cap, reports @ProFootballTalk
A 4 to 6 round pick wouldn't be bad.
With a bundle of picks in 2021, the niners will have a lot to work with. What’s the rule on compensatory picks? Might be part of the reason Niners aren’t re-signing a lot of last year’s starters.
Drew K- maybe you can shed some light, but this upcoming draft should be pretty loaded.
The more picks the niners have, the better positioned to move up in the draft or load up on late 1st or 2nd round picks. Plus, the first yr under the new CBA will mean cheaper athletes in the draft.
With a bundle of picks in 2021
already assuming complete failure this decade eh?
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Aug 4, 2011 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions
The draft could be loaded…
I think we will see alot more players staying for their senior years due to the new rookie wage scale.
So it may or may not be. There will be some good seniors but it really just depends on what junior decide to enter.
Check out my site!!
The Hometown Fan
wasn't he already theirs?
seems like a lateral move…
We don't need 8 in the box. We have 52 in the box.
This kid is a hell of a lot better than Colin Jones!
I can’t believe they are trading him, unless Mays wanted out :(
Yes, I just did Twitter. Follow me for ultra intelligent insight.
"I am our future, forget Kory"
by nocal81(Vincent) on Aug 4, 2011 1:20 PM PDT reply actions
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