Tavern talk: blue-chip players, part 6

Boldin is blue. Cards no 3 WR is almost blue by virtue of his output.
Seattle has a lot of good pieces in place, the other help needs to increase its game as well, they can't have less than maximum output by their stars or middling output by the other pieces of the puzzle.

Thanks for the Blue Chip feature, Michael. I'm sure it took a lot of time to comprehensively evaluate the whole league, plus it's the kind of topic on which everyone thinks they're an expert, so you know you're going to take a lot of grief for your choices. But you went out there and got it done anyway. Nice work.

That was a fair assessment of the 49ers, not as harsh as I thought. I wouldn't have a problem with you calling Gore an almost blue to be honest. Although he's underappreciated because he plays on a bad team, he's really only had 1 dominant year so far during his career. I think he falls more in the 9-15 range of the league's top backs than top 5.

I also notice that whenever the 49ers discussion comes up, you get on your soapbox about how the franchise is "turning its back on its legacy" the guys in place right now have no ties to Bill Walsh, but who knows maybe Mike Holmgren/Shanahan will be coaching this team next year if they flop again.

Appreciate your insight as always.

Hi Mr. Lombardi
You had made mention of the "Hard Knocks" episode from last week... I was hoping you could comment on the way they handled the cut of their longshot fullback. At the risk of sounding like a bleeding heart, I thought the way they handled it was over-the-top. There must be a better way than to be woken up at 5:30 in the morning and being told to leave the premises. To be told you are being cut because of ability (meaning lack of) by a an old man hiding an innertube around his waist is on camera qualifies as humiliation.

I understand that football is a cut-throat business, but please tell me that other franchises are more enlightened than this...

Some say Jahri Evans is the best guard in the NFL. No mention?

Such a sad state of affairs for the Rams. They are far the least talented team in the league. That's what happens when you miss on so many players in the draft for so many years. When you draft Long and Carriker so high in the draft back to back years, by the second and third year of their careers, D-line should be a strenth, not a weakness. It seems as if the scouting department is to blame for the lack for impact players.

Jon Beason is always regarded as one of the top young MLB in the league. I think Mr Lombardi must have forgot him.

Michael,
Either you or Scouts inc doesn't know what their talking about. According to them, Roddy White is considered just a solid starter and the 21st best WR in the league. I am guessing you are probably a little better evaluator, as TD and the Falcons wouldn't have paid him like he was a top five receiver if he wasn't.

Donald Penn?? What about Jeff Faine? He is the anchor of that line and had a pro bowl caliber year last year. I think that's an oversight.

No Patrick Kerney, I will remember that.

Hell Roddy just leaned to start catching the ball in the last year. Helps to have a qb, but man he has dropped some critical ones.

So 12 QBs are in the top 10 at their position?

Interesting math.

@ Jay: Good assessment of Gore except there's a couple things to consider.

Our OL has been good in 1 year since Gore got here & that was in 2006 with Norv Turner as the OC. Still every year there's constant changes & shifting going on with that line + the talent is AVERAGE. Joe Staley's strength is pass protection but he has a LONG ways to go in becoming a dominant run blocker. I rate him as average at best in that category. I hope at RG Chilo Rachal develops towards reaching his potential & starts to have a breakout year in this his 2nd season. Baas is officially injury prone & is approaching bust status as the 1st pick in the 2nd RD of his Draft. Wragge is IN, then he's OUT but finally settled into his role but I wonder if he's fully accepted that he's a backup spot player now (..where he should be IMO once we upgrade the talent.) Bottom line is if Gore had the NYG's, MINN, ATL's, etc.....the NFC teams with great run blocking OL's who've mainly been together having & maintaining continuity, Gore could very well be a consistent blue chip player.

We have no franchise QB. Smith is a bust & no Defense fears Hill's arm. We haven't had a #1 WR except once, briefly with Antonio Bryant (... & to be determined with Crabtree when he finally signs) & for many years ever since Gore's been here have had the weakest group of WR's. VD has had 1 GOOD PRODUCTIVE YEAR in '06 & since then has had a below average year.....with Hostler as OC & the following year under OC Martz was totally underutilized/ignored & kept in primarily as a blocker. (TE's are practically non-existent playmakers in Martz' WR oriented Offense.) SO THE ONLY WEAPON HAS BEEN GORE, GORE, GORE....& Defenses stack 8-9 in the box & key in on him including vs passes out of the backfield. .

One other thing you have to give Gore props on. He's seen an inept HC in Nowin & Staff & has experienced LOSING SEASON AFTER LOSING SEASON. HE HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED A WINNING SEASON YET. It's such an uphill challenge to motivate yourself every year to give it your best with a consistently losing franchise. Hopefully starting this year he can start rising up the ranks & reach Blue Chip status then stay there. I hope Gore TEARS IT UP this season!!!!

Hard to argue with Seattle selections, but one guy I wonder if you considered for almost blue is Brandon Mebane.

The Breaking news bar is incredibly annoying. Eric Green is never breaking news.

Hate to be a whiner, but if the definition of blue chip is top 10, you've also listed at least 13 WRs.

Lee Evans
Randy Moss
Wes Welker
Reggie Wayne
Brandon Marshall
Vincent Jackson
Andre Johnson
Calvin Johnson
Greg Jennings
Roddy White
Steve Smith
Antonio Bryant
Larry Fitzgerald

Uhh, what about DAVIN JOSEPH? He made the Pro Bowl last year, does that not even count for an "almost blue"?

Maybe Michael will refine his NFC list and add/remove some players, like he did with the AFC list?

San Francisco Niner Coach Singletary should recall the merits of the Walsh system well.

When SIngletary was playing against the Niners in '80's they beat Ditka's Bears by a combined score of 51-3 in two NFC Championship games.

And then there was that 41-0 Monday nighter with the Ditka gum toss arrest....

It seems Singletary is going with the Ditka Method...the run, run ,run plan which flopped repeatably against Walsh.

Singletary has three main coaching mentors Ditka, Buddy Ryan, and Walsh. He seems to be ignoring Walsh's lessons and building on to Ditka and Buddy brain waves.

Ditka and Buddy were both exceptionally bad offensive coaches.

And except for the '85 Bears run, a team Rick Kotite could have won with, both Ryan and Ditka were terrible post season coaches as well.

Singletary should be thinking of the old white haired guy...not the offensively obtuse pair who got in that shoving match in a Miami shower during the Bears only loss in '85.

A shower showing/futile fist fight match...that was Ditka's and Ryan idea of halftime time adjustments against Marino and the Miami D..

Walsh would have been mapping pass plays...

Uhh, what about DAVIN JOSEPH? He made the Pro Bowl last year, does that not even count for an "almost blue"?
===
I think a blue chip player is a guy that the opponent must always account for in their game plan, because if you don't, you are going to lose. A players can be very good, but not take up a lot of space in the opposing coaches' minds. I doubt any coach playing Tampa Bay went into game planning saying, "men, the key to this game is...right guard Davin Joseph."

Same thing goes with saying that the Cardinals' #3 wideout is a blue-chip. It's not just about numbers. Steve Breaston gets his numbers because opponents are terrified of Fitzgerald and Boldin. Doesn't mean he's not good, but no team plans for the Cardinals thinking "we must shut down Steve Breaston." Alvin Harper put up great numbers on the Jimmy Johnson Cowboy teams; when he went to Tampa he was exposed as the complimentary receiver he was.

Mike, I'm going to be a grammar nerd here but "Not one player can take him out of the game" should probably be "No single player can take him out of the game." "Not one player" makes it sound like there's no player in the world - solo or as a group - who could ever take him out of the game.

JON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASONJON BEASON

Jon Beason must have totally slipped your mind. I'm suprised at you even mentioning Damione Lewis.

No Jon Beason???????? He was the All Pro MLB last year, what the hell???

I have a hard time believing that Donald Penn is on this list who has given up 15 sacks in two years combined as a starter, and in his first year as a starter last season gave up 8.5 sacks and committed 5 penalities. I understand that there isn't as much talent at OT now as there was 6 or 8 years ago, but do rank this guy in the Top 10 at his position in the NFL is either a bad assessment of the player or a statement about the quality of OTs in the NFL today.

Okay, let's see here. Lombardi loves Bill Walsh and his time working for him, right? He consistently rags on the Niners, especially Shaun I'm 7-3 as a starter" Hill. He has worked extensively in the Bay Area.

Becoming the GM of the Niners and restoring Walsh's legacy there has to be his dream gig, right?

You can't tell me if Scot McCloughan were fired in the offseason, Lombardi wouldn't be doing everything in his power to get that job, hire a west coast offense guy like Shanny or Holmgren and draft an accurate QB next year and restore the good name of Bill Walsh's Niners.

This is why he hates on them every chance he gets. It makes perfect sense!

Absolutely rediculous. You have Vilma and Rudd as Blue Chips at middle linebacker, but not even a mention for Jon Beason? He went to the Pro Bowl last year!!! He is miles ahead of either one of those guys, adn the only comparable player at MLB is Willis, who he also beat out as the All Pro MLB last year. Unreal.

Remember, the basic offensive sets that all of the NFL teams use has at least 2 wide receivers, so the argument would be that you could include a couple more in these lists. Having 12 quarterbacks is also defensible because they are the single most important position in football, I'm just surprised that there are 12 blue chip quarterbacks. I would have thought less with a larger number of Almost blues

Remember, the basic offensive sets that all of the NFL teams use has at least 2 wide receivers, so the argument would be that you could include a couple more in these lists. Having 12 quarterbacks is also defensible because they are the single most important position in football, I'm just surprised that there are 12 blue chip quarterbacks. I would have thought less with a larger number of Almost blues

Having 12 players in the top 10 is fine assuming that some are viewed as having equal values. There is certainly no way to make a top 10 list especially with quarterbacks because they each bring different things to the table so value wise those 12 guys are top 10 on someones list.

Ok, the Rams are bad. But I think Atogwe should have made the cut, even ahead of Steven Jackson. The guy is an absolute playmaker. The guy had 5 int's and 6 (yes, 6!!!) forced fumbles last year.