The offseason wheezes out the door tomorrow, taking its annual break from boring us all to death. So long, Nothingburger, see you in February.
The first order of business after the players check in will be to find out who’s vaccinated and who isn’t. This shouldn’t be a politicized issue, but it is. And the locker rooms are going to suffer some or a lot of dysfunction because of it.
How much trouble the 49ers will have is anybody’s guess at the moment. But any unvaccinated player who causes his team to forfeit a game this year, as well as a paycheck for every player on both the teams involved in the forfeit, is going to have some serious shit rolling his way.
The NFL also intends to fine unvaccinated players $14,650 for any COVID-19 protocol violations, which further applies pressure to the idiots who feel the overwhelming urge to slip out after curfew and party with friends.
No name guys who screw up the COVID rules will no doubt be cut immediately, but what will they do if a big time guy causes a forfeit or a loss that could have been prevented?
In the meantime, the 49ers should be strong contenders this season. It will no doubt be Jimmy Garoppolo‘s final year in the red and gold, so let’s hope he goes out with a bang. Maybe even a ring.
The Niners and Jed York should make it crystal clear. If you want to play for this team you need to be vaccinated or you fail your physical. This has been twisted into a political issue.
If you defy the vaccination and during the season you test positive for Covid you jeopardize infecting your team and losing games as an end result. Covid is an airborne, highly contagious, infectious disease.
The salary players make allows most of them to live an opulent lifestyle. The vaccine is a necessary protection just like a bulletproof vest might save your life in battle.
Get the shot, it’ll save your life and those around you.
Peter King on Vaccinations in his weekly blog
“There are three teams, at least, in the NFL as of this morning that are in the upper 90s in percent of players vaccinated, with zero unvaccinated coaches and key team staff members. In this day and age, that seems incredible, to have maybe one to four holdouts on a 90-man roster, given where we are with vaccines in this country. But the reason is not hard to figure out.
As an executive with one of the mostly vaxxed teams told me: “The league has made it clear that the unvaccinated are second-class citizens.”
It’s worse for coaches, which is why if the Vikings terminate unvaccinated (as of Friday) line coach and run-game coordinator Rick Dennison, it’s not draconian—it’s necessary. An unvaccinated coach this year can’t travel with the team, can’t conduct in-person meetings of any kind, and can coach only outdoors. An unvaccinated assistant coach would have to run position meetings virtually while his players would sit together in a meeting room. One other problem: Say a team with an unvaccinated coach played a Sunday night road game. That coach would have to charter a plane home, or have one chartered for him, to be available for Monday morning meetings and possible light Monday practice. It’s all just too hard.”
If you don’t get vaccinated time to find a second career
In NFC West news Card’s Chandler Jones a potential holdout and demanding a trade. Don’t think any Niners would be sad to see him on another team outside the division.
Fred Warner has commented that Dee Ford is looking good and could be ready for start of the season.
Also RIP Grteg Knapp who couldn’t overcome his injuries.
Oops fat fingered it
RIP Greg Knapp
Sad news on Greg Knapp.
Infamously remembered for the T.O. sideline tyraid unfortunately.
RIP Greg, with condolences to his family as well.
Having crowds at games and the ability to attend is a big deal.
The tragedy is if infections keep spiking restrictions will come back into play.
Do not want to see the Niners move to Arizona again.
First exhibition game against Chefs in 19 days.
Gotta wonder how we get Trey signed, when the circus here in NJ continues with the J-E-S-T yuk yuk yuks, trying to screw around with the offset language involving Zach Wilson.
Some things never change….
Wonder no more, NJ. Trey signed this morning.
Good Skeebs, NYJ continue with their 100 year plan to get back to the SB.
Stupid is as stupid does.
RIP Dusty of Hill ZZ Top
Blues shuffle extraordinaire.
Dusty Hill of ZZ TOP….
5 more days until the first preseason game. Wonder if first team will even play 10 snaps. Down in Rams land Mcvay has stated that Stafford will receive zero snaps in preseason and you will see him only on the sideline.
Jordan Mathews is back. In the last few years he might be one guy that
has been waived and then brought back. The difference this time is Mathews has transformed from WR to TE. They need a “joker” TE.
I was hoping Jauan Jennings would get into the Joker slot Bullit.
Seems like he may not be performing too well?
Jalen Hurd is another guy that has not yet escaped being invisible.
Right on cue:
“WR Jalen Hurd did not practice. “Some things were bothering him today,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He just didn’t feel right this morning.”
Gotta screw up pretty bad to get cut by Seahawks:
“The Seahawks are releasing Aldon Smith.”
Per Rappaport of NFL Network Seahags have released Aldon Smith.
They have two significant holdouts in Jamal Adams and T Duane Brown.
Maybe they’ll make another run at Josh Gordon.
Are you ready for some football?
The first Niners Lombardi and it’s remarkable how many people on the tape have passed on. The post game celebration with OJ and Ronald Reagan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsvW8YOti_E
3 more days
Hurd has to be one of the biggest disappointments for us so far.
But O’well, lots of draft picks don’t pan out. I don’t really know if it’s just me or not but I am expecting a 12 win season with an electrifying offense and bone crushing defense. Might be these rosy glasses.
It lives!
“This is The Jalen Hurd Practice. He had back-back receptions from Trey Lance of 13 and 23 yards in a two-minute drill. He’s had three catches today.”
2020 really sucked because there was a stretch of games where the team had to move their home games to Arizona. The many injuries reduced the team to a shell of what they were.
2021 means retribution and Shanahan has a full quiver of arrows this year.
It’s going to be a good year and I’m drinking the kool-aid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJofe0koCjg
Jimmy G and the first team offense will only play one series the it’s going to Trey Lance into the third quarter so says Shanahan.
Trey Lance had an up and down debut. With some of the first team OL in he made some plays and when backups were subbed in he was sacked 5 times. WRS dropped 3 passes. Some fans are already screaming for him to start. I believe he might be ready to start a year from now. Lance has much to learn and digest. Whether by coach’s orders Lance did not have one run.
Remember this from the past. Those fans were clamoring for Nate to start based on this play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni5TrCqDXuU
Lance’s similar pass which went for a TD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5UKir1Py70
Soeey the aforementioned videos are reversed. But you get the message.
What I noticed is that our WR’s rarely got open and Lance had to throw into small windows. He looked both good and bad. What I liked was that he looked poised in the huddle and didn’t seem to get rattled when things didn’t work. I think Shanny called a lot of plays just to see if he could hit his mark and read the D’s. Hard to tell when your playing backups who most of em won’t be around at the start of the season.
Overall I liked the way Lance looked.
New post is up.