Give an Out-of-Box QB Proposal

I envy your optimism, but I'm really challenged to accept the idea that KAM/KOC were hired with a mission of, "Go all out to try to win for your first two years, but then tear it all down if it doesn't work and take a different approach." Three basic issues:
1. As you noted, the 2022 draft was bad and that's understating the bigger issue: no significant addition of young talent in the first two seasons. By my count, this team has 8 talented young players to build around: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O'Neill, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Ivan Pace. Of those, only 3 were acquired by KAM. The overall number is low and the dependence on the modest leftovers from Spielman is disturbing. You could argue to add some players like Chandler or Blackmon, but they're not likely to become rock stars and even becoming good starters is uncertain.

2. We are not "in position to land our qb of the future". Chicago is, so are Washington and New England. We threw every ounce of effort into getting 7 wins in a doomed season, didn't collect extra draft picks, and are in the same place we were in 2011: drafting 11th and almost certainly watching the best 3-4 QBs get drafted before we get a shot. If we get to choose between Penix and Nix are we getting a better prospect than Christian Ponder? Maybe, because it's a far stronger draft. But we sure aren't lined up to get a surefire stud QB.

3. Do you really think KOC is such an amazing HC that he can do one thing (pump up a team around an aging vet QB) for two years and then an entirely different one (tutor and rebuild for a rookie) immediately after? Sure, maybe "coaching is coaching" but I think ownership should have had a plan in mind and hired the guy suited for it. KOC is definitely suited for tuning Cousins and putting weapons around him. But he has never developed a rookie QB.

If as you (and many others) argue is true, that the Wilfs just said, "You guys can fool around with Cousins for a couple years, see if that works, no consequences if not and you can start over", I feel pretty cheated with how they treat our investment as fans.

sorry. Don't want to sidetrack the thread

LOL...I appreciate that but it went off the "alternative QB plans" rails long ago and I gave in and gave you a long "state of the team" post myself, so...it's hard to avoid.


I was admittedly pretty high on KOC after 2022 and even into 2023. But his stubbornness and apparently limited flexibility is disappointing.

But I find KAM the bigger problem, and he could be to blame for some of O'Connell's issues. I think Kwesi is weak and gives in when Kevin really needs, as every coach does but especially a young one, a strong GM to correct his course. A stronger GM would make him give up playcalling, or hire a different OL coach to change schemes, or overrule his player demands, or not sign an extra TE while negotiating a big extension for the TE they just acquired. But KOC appears to be dominating the relationship.

It's justified, though, because KAM has fewer strengths. The talent acquisition is terrible. OK, he's new and learning on the job, but he squandered one of the team's earliest draft positions in 2022. Talent trumps almost everything else in a team's performance IMO. KAM added 3 good starters (Hockenson, Addison, Pace) in 2 years. Is his schedule to have the roster competitive by 2030??

That makes a lot of sense, given Payton's familiarity with Winston. And as for the last point whoskmoon made about Winston ("complete POS human being")...birds of a feather with Payton.



I would love to see someone go through that option from expected cost but especiallly how KOC might coach Lance. I tend to dismiss it because I think they could have acquired him last year by outbidding the Cowboys. (Dallas might have taken our 4th instead of SF's because they figured ours would be a better pick and/or because they see the 49ers as greater conference competition, but if not, we throw in a 7th.) We didn't acquire him then so it makes me believe KOC didn't think Lance could develop. Lance hasn't changed for the better, so why pursue him now? My only theory on that would be the Vikings now know Kirk is leaving and Kevin is facing the need to find a successor, which he didn't think was necessary 8 months ago.

That's an interesting report, and I wonder how many of the 49ers fans were traveling from California. It's possible that fans are starting to just choose a team to favor and not just cheering for the "home team". I think the expansion of broadcast and other coverage has made that possible, and that might be a double-edged sword for NFL franchises.

Lots of times we vow we're going to quit following the Vikings and pick another team, but us diehards rarely do. But what about the younger fans? A decade ago, they could choose to be 49ers fans but if they lived in the Minnesota area, they might only see that team on TV a few times in the regular season. Twenty years ago you might have to go on a trip to buy a jersey for a non-local team. But all the Vikings games were televised and all the local media focused on them.

Some season ticket holders might now just think, "I'm buying tickets to 8 NFL games, as long as they're entertaining I don't care if the local team wins." I think that's kind of a sad step in NFL fandom, but might be a growing reality.

Don't kid yourselves, the full rebuild started last offseason when Kwesi moved on from the following Players.

Patrick Peterson
Duke Shelley
Cam Dantzler
Chandon Sullivan
Eric Kendricks
Z. Smith
Dalvin Tomlinson (allowed himself to be outbid)
Adam Thielin
Dalvin Cook
Irv Smith

Granted, Smith & Dantzler weren't Starters, but they were young, high-Round draftees picked to be Starters that the New Regime soured on swiftly.

That's still 8 Starters. If Hicks, Hunter & Cousins walk it's a whopping 50% of the Starters replaced in 2 years.

How is that not a full Rebuild? Because it didn't start in the '21 offseason like so many wanted? Because they didn't trade guys that most Teams didn't want anyway? Because they didn't allow themselves to get lowballed for Hunter?

Or do so many of you deny it's a full Rebuild because they didn't immediately move on from the 10th-12th best QB who is habitually paid like he's a Top 5 QB?

You want an interesting option for '24? Well, there isn't an obvious one. It's going to be Brissett or someone very similar until one of Maye/McCarthy/Nix/Penix is up to speed.

Kwesi has been ruthless in tearing it down but also trying to field a competitive Team. Making a Hail Mary Swing at a Sam Darnold or Zach Wilson or Trey Lance has far too much of a risk to fit what KAM & KOC have been aiming to do.

You can argue that Kwesi didn't plan this because he didn't stockpile ammo to move up. The counter to that is that Kevin may have told him he's good with Penix if they can't move up for Maye. That's the hedge to the bet. A very trader mentality.

AZ would take a nasty cap hit to move on this year. I think the soonest they could move on his next season. Even that would be expensive. They could surprise and take his replacement this year and redshirt him.