Question: Looking at the current roster and at the potential starters, I see a lot of great, young talent ready to blossom, many of them guys that were drafted during the Nolan years. So who was more responsible for picking these mid-to-late round gems? Nolan or McCloughan? (John W.)
Answer: The drafts have been Scot McCloughan's area of expertise since Nolan hired him to be the organization's lead talent evaluator in 49ers. While Nolan had final say on every pick made from the 2005, '06, '07 drafts, McCloughan generally - if not, always - got the player he wanted.
McCloughan is on record as saying he arrived at the conclusion in December that quarterback Alex Smith would be the top-ranked player on his board - regardless of whether his board was located in
McCloughan was also very high on Frank Gore, having scouted him and seen him up close since his freshman year at
Clearly, Nolan would've had a bigger influence on draft picks in the early rounds when there were fewer players that might fall into those slots. Even then, Jed York tells the story of witnessing McCloughan demand the 49ers pick linebacker Patrick Willis against some opposition.
McCloughan and the scouts did most of the prep work. McCloughan generally presented Nolan with some options and opinions. Nolan was not passive, though. Nolan met individually with Tarell Brown, a so-called "character risk" before the 2007 draft. Nolan concluded Brown was not a bad kid, just somebody who had made bad decisions. They ended up taking him in the fifth round.
I've been led to believe that while Nolan had the final say in personnel matters, he generally signed off on McCloughan's recommendations on draft day.
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Question: Just after Nolan announced JTO as the starting QB last year, I posted on your blog (I'm sure you remember it...jk) that, based upon this decision, I don't think we have to the right people making the decisions for our football team. I think that turned out to be quite true, exemplified by JTO, last-second plays, Martz, Nolan's defensive schemes, etc.
My question is this: Do you believe that we now have better decision makers in charge of this team? (DinPortland)
Answer: Mike Singletary's job is to coach. As of yet, he has not attempted to use his power to shape the roster. (There are rumblings around the league that Singletary would be very open to signing Michael Vick, but McCloughan put his foot down on that one.)
Singletary saw up close how quickly things turned for Nolan. Singletary is still new to coaching. I'm not sure the last time there has been a head coach in the NFL with as little coaching experience - at any level -- as Singletary.
But Singletary seems to be self-aware. He probably knows his limitations when it comes to player evaluation, so he is in no hurry to stick out his neck with bold personnel moves.
In fact, Singletary seems to be a friend of the personnel department. Surely, McCloughan likes the moves of getting Chilo Rachal and Dashon Goldson into the starting lineup and carving out more opportunities for Manny Lawson to rush the passer.
Singletary's biggest offseason moves have been on his coaching staff. He fired Martz (another popular move among the front office). Singletary had an idea of what he wanted from an offensive coordinator, and he struggled to fill the vacancy.
A league source said Singletary offered the job - or at least intimated a job offer was forthcoming - to three candidates before they removed themselves from consideration. He hired Jimmy Raye, whose offensive philosophy seems to be exactly what Singletary was seeking.
Singletary's other main staff hires have been newphew Vance Singletary (inside linebackers), former teammate Al Harris (pass rush specialist) and QBs coach Mike Johnson.
Here's the thing with the decision to start J.T. O'Sullivan: Martz's offense is so unique that O'Sullivan - with his skill set and prior knowledge of the offense -- was so clearly the ONLY choice to open the regular season as the starter. Therefore, the problem was deeper than just the decision to start JTO.
I believe now the decision-making is more sound because the players are matched better with an offensive system that seems to fit the personnel. We'll see if Raye is successful calling a game, because it's been so long since he has been asked to carry out that duty. Defensively, Greg Manusky's stripping down of the playbook and simplifying of the scheme was successful in the final eight games and the players seem to appreciate the consistency. (Of course, players almost always initially speak favorably of coaching changes.)
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Nolan is the decider...he goes with his gut...don't misunderestimate him.
Besides the Raye system (I wonder if anyone else can call plays during the game and have Raye as the architect and the other guy as the builder), the big question is really about the d. The simplification of the defense is fine, but it is going to test Manusky's ability to adjust on the fly. You can scheme teams as much as you want, but if you can't adapt to their changes, your screwed. I think Manusky will be fine, now that he doesn't have Nolan breathing oer his shoulder.
Hi Matt, Giving Nolan so much power from the beginning was the problem. He never coached a team or was ever a general manager. This is the right receipe for disaster. His game day decesions remained those of a novice right up until the time he was fired. With each year of his reign the team regressed. But he did come on the cheap which played a factor in his hiring. Bottom line he did not have the smarts. I think the situation in Denver will implode and their boy wonder coach might be out if they get off to a slow start. And then Nolan might just get another shot.
When you step back and look at 49er "management", there really isn't much there. But in sports, there's always hope. And luck.
I agree with the comments of the three previous commenters (Jon, Andrew & Louie). But I think that JK is just having an "I told you so moment". The fact is that if you took a negative position on anything involving the 49ers these past 9 years or so you would likely have been proven correct. You are right, Matt, Martz had no other choice than to select O'Sullivan. After 3 years of offensive ineptitude during the Nolan era Martz was hired to install HIS offensive system, not to fine tune the Nolan/Hostler offense. Given that Smith was still hurt and both he and Hill were having trouble learning the new offense, O'Sullivan was the obvious choice. Two things happened later in the season that made Hill appear to be the better choice all along. Hill took over in mid-season, after he had a chance to absorb more of the Martz offense, and by a Singletary edict, Martz had to "dumb-down" that offense to accommodate Hill's more limited physical skills and the OL deficiencies.
"Misunderestimate"??
Is Parag still in the booth...this information is of vital importance.
There must be an inherent trait to be a HC--to have the confidense to be able to coach anyone, there are just too many examples of this. I am a Coach Sing guy, I welcome him as the leader of my team. However, I really hope he never gets the opportunity to coach Vick as a 9er (think Reeves believed he could coach Vick? I'll bet he did). On McGM, I'll give him credit for some of the player selection, I think the chance he took on Gore (#3) was brilliant. In the same draft we are still waiting to reap the benefit of Smith (#1) and Baas (#2). Willis, another brilliant choice, what a stud, I remember reading that Sing would not have selected him. So far I don't see that Vernon was worth the #1 pick, maybe that changes. Hopefully with McGM the Peter Priciple does not kick in.
I feel Jed has already changed the atmosphere at headquarters from when the Dr. was in charge. That has filtered down through the ranks. Now all is left is to start to win and that will spread like a virus and the 49ers will soon forget they're recent ineptitude.
Matt,
Does McCloughan have any say whatsoever in the hiring of assistant coaches? There were some rumors that he did not want Martz last year but Nolan made the hire anyway. I'm wondering if McCloughan was on board with the Raye hire and if he had any say in the candidates, etc.
Another change in decision making is a more traditional chain of command with Singletary reporting to McCloughan. I believe the dynamics of McCloughan being a peer to, or subordinate to Nolan and then becoming his boss likely impeded the decision making process.
Nolan was given all the power because the Yorks were hoping to find another Bill Walsh who could do it all and be the GM and HC etc etc. It had nothing to do with $ at all !
Eddie had been a laughing stock for years as owner UNTIL he found the right guy (by luck). The Yorks hoped thatvif they brought in the son of a former HC of the Niners and a coach who had been around the NFL on several teams,that he might just turn into their Walsh. They made the wrong choice,as Eddie did a number of times before Walsh was found.
Hopefully now, with Jed in charge and with Scotty and sing running the football side of things and Andy dolich running the business side,they have found their successful formula.
I am very very optimistic about the present structure and about the future !
You just scared me! Just about everything you wrote about Nolan is true about Singletary, as far as his head coaching time and lack of experience. It makes me wonder if you could be right, or if Singletary will break the mold and be in the right place at the right time.
It's still hard to believe MS was interested in bringing Vick to the 49ers. Even if MS could make a change in this guys personality and choices in life (VERY DOUBTFUL), it would be a disaster publicity wise, set the stage for a possible fan based civil war, and negative national exposure to the City of SF.
Thank God cooler heads prevailed and Scot McC put his foot down. Besides Vick needs a few years of seeing what it's like to live on the other side of the track with an empty wallet and feeling the "tough love" that criminals can need. Unfortunately, that's the only way an ex con can decide to make the right decisions in life he needs to make. Putting him in the limelight again would lead to tremendous pressure on him. Let alone the pressure MS would apply.
No question that the 49ers have a better "Chain of Command" now that NoWin-NoClue Nolan is not around anymore. It's more define & everybody knows their responsibilities. Sing would be the first person to say "personnel" is not my strength. McC evaluates & aquires the talent, Sing coaches & motivates the players while he let's his coaches coach their particular units. Simple but it's going to be very effective I believe.
It's my tribute to W. He said he was all those things.
Speaking as a fan who has actually been at the games before and after Eddie's reign, it is a pleasure to call you on your nonsense. Eddie D. was only the owner of the 49ers for three years when he hired Bill Walsh. No one in the media or the NFL thought anything of this franchise. He was not a laughing stock at all. He was unknown, and the owner of a terrible team, that he was not responsible for. When he hired Bill Walsh it was very well received by people in the bay area as well as the sports media that bothered to care about this sad franchise. Walsh was a local guy who had achieved a very high degree of respect from football people in both the college ranks and the NFL. The only reason he was not already a head coach was because he was brilliant, opinionated, and brave enough not to kiss the asses of NFL owners in those days, when it was required by many of them. Eddie had the courage to pick a guy who was talented, principled, and as courageous as he was. Eddie wasn't lucky.
You are, because you can actually publish your ignorance to an audience.
Wow!
TOP_CAT I think louie just walked all over you my friend with some very valid points.
"Hi Matt, Giving Nolan so much power from the beginning was the problem. He never coached a team or was ever a general manager. This is the right receipe for disaster. His game day decesions remained those of a novice right up until the time he was fired. With each year of his reign the team regressed. But he did come on the cheap which played a factor in his hiring. Bottom line he did not have the smarts. I think the situation in Denver will implode and their boy wonder coach might be out if they get off to a slow start. And then Nolan might just get another shot."
Are you suggesting that Erickson would have been better. Erickson did not even talk with his players while on the sideline. Many times I would see Erickson just walking the sidelines watching the action on the feild and never talk with his players. I think Nolan did as good of a job as he could have. Nolan actually made this team better and if it wasn't for losing his OC every year I beleive we would have been in the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers Madden NFL 10 Ratings
http://espn.go.com/videogames/features/madden/madden10?teamId=15
...no love
louie
Selective memory?
From whence came Joe Thomas, the General Manager from Hell? Who fired Monte Clark at the conclusion of the 1976 season. . .which, at the time, if you'll remember, had been hailed for presiding over a "turn-around" season?
The succeeding seasons under Thomas made The Prospectors (Thomas eradicated all traces of the Prospector logo, didn't he?) the laughing stock of the league--trading multiple draft choices for a shell-shocked Jim Plunkett (Patriots), then repeating the same mistake for a washed-up O. J. Simpson (Bills).
Been a 49er fan since Frankie Albert was coaching. . .yes, I cried when the Lions beat my team in '57.
Yes all that did happen in the Joe Thomas Era (black days) but the point louie was trying to make was even the young Eddie D learned from his mistakes in the early going of owning the 49ers & it didn't take him very long to recover from that disaster when he did hire the White Hair Genius.
Louie, you took the words right out of my mouth, although you were a little harsh with that last sentence.
Top Cat I hope you are right about being so optomistic about our NEW decision making structure, but let's not forget, that with NoWin and McClueless the bar has been set pretty low. So improvement on what's been happening in Niner land the past 5 years is fairly easy to do. The REAL question is, how successful are we going to be? I LOVE the Singletary hire and I hope to see Scotty become a good if not great GM without NoWin breathing down his neck, but many of his past moves have been questionable at best. And as a side note, is it just me or do all of you Niner fans out there just cringe when poor Scotty in on the air with Ralph and Tom on KNBR? Scotty comes across sooooo nervous and befuddled that it makes me nervous for him just listening to him stuttering and trying to defend himself with the questions he's asked? Anyways, I AM willing not to "misunderestimate: Scotty for another year or so. Otherwise I want a STRONG GM in here, like a Holmgren. Peace my Niner Borthers and Sisters!
I've got to agree with Louie on this one. Even the hiring of Joe Thomas was considered a great move due to his work with building the Dolphins championship teams.
I also see weakness in McCloughan as a GM. Perhaps he's a great GM behind the scenes but his public persona comes across as a nervous nelly afraid of confrontation. He just seems like he'd get run over by strong minded employees. I always get the feeling McCloughan as GM is akin to any AD for which Bobby Knight has ever worked.
LOL! Awesome...
They never show the Niners love, but I still buy the games. Last year, the Niners had a worse overall rating than the Raiders! Bunch of bafoons at EA.
Louie!! I couldn't of said it better!! Top_Cat must of got up on the wrong side of the bed. Anyone who would even insinuate anything negative about THE GREAT EDDIE D. must either hate the 49ers, or hated them back in the days Eddie built World Champion after World Champion. NO TEAM or OWNER ever treated his players better than Eddie D. and that's from the players mouths who ALL loved Eddie like a father.
LUCK had absolutely nothing to do about it! If he was lucky with Walsh than who picked Seifert? And who picked Mooch? Despite being fired by the team after years because he couldn't win the big one (even though the playoffs were a given) Mooch had the unenviable job of coaching the team on the way down player wise because Eddie ended up with family problems over the Debartolo Empire! And the goofs had taken over by then!
Eddie D. is a Hall Famer in exodus because he did something the NFL took offense at, even though many of the players in the league were and are drug addicts (steroids and who knows), thugs who use guns at supposed night clubs, misfits in society guys in mens bodies with spoiled, 3rd grade mentalities!
EDDIE D. WE MISS YOU!!! PLEASE COME BACK!!!
Whoever tried to compare the niners new regime with the old is nuts.... I see alot of potential on this team, the young WR corps, Willis and Spikes in the middle and I think the secondary will be much improved with Goldson and Tarell Brown who I think will be an upgrade over Walt Harris.... However when I think about this team honestly, until they get a true 3-4 nose tackle and have a real legit nfl starting quarterback competing for a job as opposed to these two duds I just don't see them in the playoffs. If next off season Colt McCoy is competing for a starting job, then we have a chance, neither hill or smith are playoff caliber qbs I wish it wasn't the truth but it's apparent.
F49er
Yes, Bill Walsh assembled an excellent organization, on the field, and off the field. One cannot minimize the contribution of John MacVay, or Carmen Policy, to the on-field production of the players, because each was an integral part of The Team.
However, the task Bill Walsh assumed, in 1979, was the resurrection of a Storied Franchise;
the NFL actually became national, not just Great Lakes/Eastern Seaboard, when the San Francisco 49ers were admitted to the NFL, after the demise of the AAFL;
the competition for the championship of the AAFL, between the Frankie Albert-led 49ers, and the Otto Graham-led Cleveland Browns, garnered national press coverage in the post-war years;
the franchise contended for the NFL title in 1957, losing a Western Conference title playoff to the Detroit Lions, when the championship was determined by a single playoff game, pitting the winners of the respective conference titles;
Red Hickey's alteration of the "short-punt" formation was revolutionary, and was the father of the "shot-gun" formation still in use to this day; and,
our San Francisco 49ers were the Western Conference Champions from 1970, through 1972 (without ever beating the Rams in that 3-year stretch, OK?, That's a given.)
I object to "louie's" cheap-shot at TOP_CAT. louie paraded his ignorance of his knowledge of the history of my favorite team.
I grew up listening to football broadcasts on the radio, when yardage gained was so slow the announcers called them off in 5-yard increments.
Go, Prospectors!
louie
I quote your post:
"No one in the media or the NFL thought anything of this franchise."
What impact did the pursuit of San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie, by Lamar Hunt (owner, Kansas City Chiefs) and "Bud" Adams (owner, Houston Oilers) of the American Football League, have in precipitating the merger of the American Football League with the National Football League?
Jest wonderin'.
Jesta.... Louie was spot on. You come across as someone who read a history book and thought everything that happened JUST occured. According to your logic, the Lions should be a favorite to win the SB because that Bobby Layne is a fantastic qb... Japanese can't be trusted since they bombed Pearl Harbor... and stay away from tech stocks because that personal computer thing is just a fad. Every argument you made has nothing to do with Louie's post. The fact is no one thought anything of the 9ers in 1979 because they had been terrible for a few years and the team had very little talent. To say Eddie D lucked out in hiring Bill W completely discounts Eddie's greatest talent which is his ability to build organizational excellence through hiring the very best people.
For the record Jim Plunkett trade was before Eddie D took over. As a matter of fact Plunkett played well in 1976 under Monte Clark (8-6 with a couple of tough losses).
Sure Eddie made a big mistake in hiring Joe Thomas. However, he was quick to recognize his mistake and move on. That to my mind is what set him apart from his peers.
In a football team (as in all businesses) success starts at the top. The Owner creates an atmosphere with either breeds success or failure. Eddie has to get the credit for creating an atmosphere with the 49ers which led to 16 straight seasons with 10+ wins. The fact that the team quit winning as soon as Dr. Death took over at the top underscores the point.
I hope Jed takes after the mother's side of his family.
Just like to point out that I agree with you in that success starts at the top but to put the blame solely on Dr. York is a bit naive. The main person responsible for the niner's downward spiral was the totally clueless Terry Donahue, ironically a Walsh recommendation. While York was obviously totally out of his element, Donahue, a supposedly bright football guy and leader did a horrible job, such as the large contracts to resign Ahmed Plummer, JJ Stokes and even Garcia. Leadership and success on a football team comes mostly from the GM and headcoach and his staff with support from the owner.