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Niners Nation #Channel49 Twitter Q&A Vol. 7: 2013 NFL Draft Edition

We have all the draft topics you would want us to hit on in this mailbag.

By Trevor Woods
Priceless
Priceless
Al Bello

Well, the draft is over, and we have lot's to discuss in this mailbag. Remember, every Friday at 2 P.M. PT we hold our #Channel49 Q&A on Twitter.

Woods' thoughts:

I'm sure the 49ers considered that, but found players they wanted to draft this year with their later picks instead. As of now, the 49ers have three third round choices in 2014 (their own, Chiefs third, and Titans third).

On top of that, expect the 49ers to get some more compensatory picks next season as well. The Niners may also trade a player and add even more picks. We are looking at a situation next year similar to this draft, with the 49ers having the most picks of any team. There really was no need to trade any late picks this year to move up a round next draft.

According to Coach Harbaugh, the plan is to get Marcus Lattimore to 100 percent before he even sees action in practice in any capacity. The plan is to move Lattimore along slowly and to make sure he doesn't try and rush back too soon.

The 49ers are investing in Lattimore long term. Any production they get from the running back this season would be a nice bonus. The PUP list is an option, but it is far too early to tell if that's what will happen. Lattimore's personal goal is to be ready week one.

There will be at least two interesting position battles: wide receiver and interior defensive line. To answer your question, I'll be looking forward to the receiver battle the most. Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams, Ricardo Lockette, Chad Hall, and even A.J. Jenkins could be fighting for their roster spot.

There's a lot of talent at the wide receiver position , and only so many spots are available. Manningham may find himself in some trouble if his recovery from injury continues to be a slow one. No one mentioned above has a roster spot that is safe. This is a staff that truly does let the players compete and battle it out. Their performance in practices will determine their fate.

I wasn't too surprised when Eric Reid's name was called. My initial was reaction was "Alright, now safety is out of the way." I was glad the 49ers took care of the safety position right off the bat. Then the trade details came in, and to move up to No. 18 and only have to give up pick No. 31 and a third round pick? All I can say is, thank you Jerry Jones. Before the pick came in, Reid was actually one of the players I suspected the 49ers would take there, with the others being Johnathan Cyprien or Shariff Floyd.

Then, when Reid went on stage with his daughter, my reaction was one of delight. I thought him having his beautiful little girl up there with him was priceless and a very special moment. It showed me a young man who's very mature for his age, raising a child and caring for her dearly. Hope that sums up my reaction, I felt it was a positive one.

Dr. Malone's Diagnosis:

This is a question a lot of people have asked. It's impossible to tell if he would have been there at No. 31. Many people think he would have been around based on the mock drafts available and confusion as to the No. 2 safety in the draft class. What is clear is that John Jim Harbaugh likes Eric Reid, has liked him for years and wanted him as the 49ers free safety of the future. Perhaps, Trent Baalke had better insight and information than Todd McShay, Mel Kiper and all the rest of the experts, and made the call to move up to get their man.

We have to assume the 49ers had some reason to believe that teams drafting between the 18th and 31st pick might want Reid. When you factor in the minimal price the team paid in moving up, I'm fine with Harbaugh getting the guy he wanted at the position we most needed to fill.

The question may be a bit outdated now that the draft is over but it covers two main points that were brought up frequently and one big question that still needs addressing. The subtext for the question is should the 49ers draft (have drafted) Tyrann Mathieu. With Tavon Austin going to the Rams in the first round and Percy Harvin going to the Seahawks via trade earlier in the offseason, the 49ers will now match up against two very quick, dynamic playmakers four times a year, every year.

I’m of the thinking that we will have problems in the slot this year and I am not alone. Carlos Rogers got abused by Danny Amendola and the Rams last year. Both Harvin and Austin should play at an even higher level. I thought we would draft a cornerback by the 4th round, but we didn’t.

As for Honey Badger, I didn’t want him. I was on the fence until the last couple of weeks. Following the news of his 10+ failed drug tests and ill-advised reported draft party I felt it was best to avoid him. He ran a 5.50 40-yard dash for someone who is supposed to be fast. Why? He hasn’t played football in a year. I didn’t think the 49ers needed a project DB at the round it would have required to get him. For once, the FO agreed with me.

There is a good reason why people are questioning our secondary. It is last year’s postseason. After mildly surprising everyone for much of the year with their stellar play, the pass defense came unglued over our last 6 games, including the playoffs. The debate for much of the offseason was about the cause of our struggles against the pass. Did the secondary suddenly regress or did the disappearance of our pass rush with the injuries to Justin Smith and Aldon Smith play the bigger role.

With the departure of Dashon Goldson via free agency, we were clearly going to draft one of the top safeties and we did. But, the front office decided upgrading our pass rush was the best way to help our secondary. And so three more picks were spent bringing in Tank Carradine, Corey Lemonier and Quinton Dial. I think Trent Baalke answered your question.

The Colin Kaepernick contract question is beginning to pop up frequently. After Tony Romo & Joe Flacco were extended, it popped up. Now, with the Aaron Rodgers record-breaking extension, it pops up again. We’re really not going to know what Kaepernick will make until we see what the 2013 season brings.

If CK7 continues to improve, if we win a Super Bowl or if he makes a Pro Bowl, we’re going to see a deal approaching Flacco’s. If he regresses in any way or gives any indication that he’s not a top-5 quarterback it may be in his best interest to wait another year. Who will suffer? The depth of the roster will take a hit. It’s been noted that teams with starting quarterbacks on their rookie deals have such an advantage over teams that don’t.

The 49ers have nearly $20 million less allotted to their starting QB than the Packers. That will be spread out over the team. Look at our roster, some of the salaries of the starters, grab some names and find a few whose salaries total $20 million. Now take them off the team. That will give you an idea of what the difference is. Justin Smith, Anthony Davis and Frank Gore make about that money combined. Scary thought.

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