Kyle Shanahan is obviously Data. His android brain makes him smarter than any other coach, but he’d trade it all just to have human feelings for a day.
Some day, and that day may never come, I hope to have as many as two analogies in my newsletter that approach the quality Mike reaches a dozen times an issue. But I'm the Picard of newsletter writers, only the alternate timeline Picard who never got stabbed in the heart and therefore is still a lieutenant. Dazzling issue, Mike 😎
For "baby in the tower," substitute the proof-of-universal-humanity dangling-kid-from-roof rescue scene in "The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming..."
Myself, I don't understand the criticism of Schottenheimer's Martin response. As a coordinator he hasn't really been coaching O-Lineman Martin all that much. Unless the PR Guy prepped him to expect a Martin question, no I don't see where it's any kind of faux pas that Schottenheimer didn't have an answer ready.
And as a Cowboy fan (NOT!, but for the sake of illustration) I really don't care if Schottenheimer bites the Big One at finessing press conference questions.
He should have been prepped on the question. Also, I was trying to capture the lack of energy in his response. Coaches asked about retiring players usually gush tough-guy stories. Even if they are cliches the gushing is palpable. Schottenheimer sounded like he was talking about someone from the mail room!
I could understand moving on if his 2024 performance dropped to Drew Lock and Spencer rattler level. Brock Purdy play to play was 10th best QB performance per PFF. This is where PFF shines; seeing players do their part even though its not measurable in yards and pts. PFF sees QB make correct reads and throwing catchable balls that didn't lead to completions and especially YAC which pumps EPA and efficiency rates. PFF sees a late game situation a QB makes a bad read, doesn't look at the open guy by design and coverage call....throws a 'turnover worthy' ball to a covered WR. DB whiffs on intercepting it, play scored a TD. Wow! That QB is clutch! Didya see that highlight!!
The sample size is small, the risk is high...We recall Baltimore paying Joe Flacco after a great 2012 season and postseason. Nick Foles getting paid 2x with amazing 2013 season and 2017 Postseason. Brock Osweiller 2016 Texans for being better then Manning in 2015 reg season.
Reminds me: Cian Fahey had a whole breakdown of 2012 joe Flacco postseason way way back on a probably defunct website. He proved it was tremendous luck in all those games, Flacco was making incorrect reads again and again, especially the Ravens Broncos shootout. He got bailed out by targets making great plays, and opponent errors and slips.
The issue is the lack of middle ground between moving on and 250 million. Maybe the 49ers find it. But right now they are bracing to pay a guy for what he did in the best possible environment, then stripping away the environment.
Working backwards, I wonder how many Mr. Irrelevants' career earnings must be totaled to get to Brock Purdy's upcoming contract. $250 million might cover 30 or 40 years!
One way to look at it: signing him to 50 mill a year solves a problem that can take decades to fix. Ask Jets fans if theyd mind 10th best QB.
Once u got that guy u can at least matter. Building a strong supporting cast to compete for SBs once u got a QB is much easier then finding a Qb that can execute an NFL offense.
Plus, the guy has started less then 50 NFL games he's got room to improve. In 2028 whatever a QB got paid in 2025 is a bargain. So theyll even have room for free agents at that time.
I've often wondered if any GM would consider just biting bullets and not dodging cap issues with restructuring. Is any GM close to using that approach? It feels like biting one big bullet would set up a few years of opportunity.
I am sure that happens sometimes, though I can't think of examples. (Team DOESN'T renegotiate is rarely news). But many of these contracts are built for the restructures. Especially the QB contracts.
"He'll be in Canton here in the next couple of years. If I don't get an invitation, I'll be pissed. Hell, we might be playing in the game."
No way, this train of thought is impossible. Mike I think you slipped in dialogue from one of your skits about some generic failson failing upwards through the coaching ranks -- just to see if we'd notice.
Great article BTW! Hope you enjoyed good ol' Indianapolis... People who come here only during the combine must think it's some sort of bustling NFL mecca or something.
The "They Might Trade Aiyuk" thing is the traditional nonsense that follows the KS 49ers. Remember when KS said "it would be very difficult for a rookie to displace Jimmy G" and the media spent months interpreting that as "TREY LANCE IS GONNA START"? Deebo's gone because Deebo was done and I think in 6 months we will learn that Deebo is pretty much just done.
Kyle Shanahan is obviously Data. His android brain makes him smarter than any other coach, but he’d trade it all just to have human feelings for a day.
Some day, and that day may never come, I hope to have as many as two analogies in my newsletter that approach the quality Mike reaches a dozen times an issue. But I'm the Picard of newsletter writers, only the alternate timeline Picard who never got stabbed in the heart and therefore is still a lieutenant. Dazzling issue, Mike 😎
Thanks! I thought I was all aside-ed out after the Forty awards. But there was an aftershock.
Ladies and gentlemen! I give you . . . Mike Tanier--the Roget's Thesaurus of imagery!
Joe Burrow's contract only hit the cap for $20m Y1 and $30m Y2.
If the 49ers can do something structurally similar with Purdy's extension they shouldn't have to give up Rubber Duckie and the paperclip collection.
Referencing the Star Trek and Star Wars universes in the same block = mixing metaphors. -2 points.
Didn’t the Giants do the “baby in the tower” thing with D. Jones and that offensive offensive line. (Not a typo).
They did. The 49ers experiment is more like Trading Places. But with toddlers.
For "baby in the tower," substitute the proof-of-universal-humanity dangling-kid-from-roof rescue scene in "The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming..."
Would Howie Roseman be Q?
Might well be the James Bond Q what with all those assembled Eagle gadgets that can kill you.
Myself, I don't understand the criticism of Schottenheimer's Martin response. As a coordinator he hasn't really been coaching O-Lineman Martin all that much. Unless the PR Guy prepped him to expect a Martin question, no I don't see where it's any kind of faux pas that Schottenheimer didn't have an answer ready.
And as a Cowboy fan (NOT!, but for the sake of illustration) I really don't care if Schottenheimer bites the Big One at finessing press conference questions.
He should have been prepped on the question. Also, I was trying to capture the lack of energy in his response. Coaches asked about retiring players usually gush tough-guy stories. Even if they are cliches the gushing is palpable. Schottenheimer sounded like he was talking about someone from the mail room!
I could understand moving on if his 2024 performance dropped to Drew Lock and Spencer rattler level. Brock Purdy play to play was 10th best QB performance per PFF. This is where PFF shines; seeing players do their part even though its not measurable in yards and pts. PFF sees QB make correct reads and throwing catchable balls that didn't lead to completions and especially YAC which pumps EPA and efficiency rates. PFF sees a late game situation a QB makes a bad read, doesn't look at the open guy by design and coverage call....throws a 'turnover worthy' ball to a covered WR. DB whiffs on intercepting it, play scored a TD. Wow! That QB is clutch! Didya see that highlight!!
The sample size is small, the risk is high...We recall Baltimore paying Joe Flacco after a great 2012 season and postseason. Nick Foles getting paid 2x with amazing 2013 season and 2017 Postseason. Brock Osweiller 2016 Texans for being better then Manning in 2015 reg season.
Reminds me: Cian Fahey had a whole breakdown of 2012 joe Flacco postseason way way back on a probably defunct website. He proved it was tremendous luck in all those games, Flacco was making incorrect reads again and again, especially the Ravens Broncos shootout. He got bailed out by targets making great plays, and opponent errors and slips.
The issue is the lack of middle ground between moving on and 250 million. Maybe the 49ers find it. But right now they are bracing to pay a guy for what he did in the best possible environment, then stripping away the environment.
Working backwards, I wonder how many Mr. Irrelevants' career earnings must be totaled to get to Brock Purdy's upcoming contract. $250 million might cover 30 or 40 years!
One way to look at it: signing him to 50 mill a year solves a problem that can take decades to fix. Ask Jets fans if theyd mind 10th best QB.
Once u got that guy u can at least matter. Building a strong supporting cast to compete for SBs once u got a QB is much easier then finding a Qb that can execute an NFL offense.
Plus, the guy has started less then 50 NFL games he's got room to improve. In 2028 whatever a QB got paid in 2025 is a bargain. So theyll even have room for free agents at that time.
it feels like they're bracing to pay a guy for being in the top 10 of QBs. IDK this just feels like what the QB market is.
Would you rather have Trevor Lawrence?
I've often wondered if any GM would consider just biting bullets and not dodging cap issues with restructuring. Is any GM close to using that approach? It feels like biting one big bullet would set up a few years of opportunity.
I am sure that happens sometimes, though I can't think of examples. (Team DOESN'T renegotiate is rarely news). But many of these contracts are built for the restructures. Especially the QB contracts.
As a Rams fan I am very happy with the 49ers giving Jeff Garcia errr Brock Turdy a max contract.
"He'll be in Canton here in the next couple of years. If I don't get an invitation, I'll be pissed. Hell, we might be playing in the game."
No way, this train of thought is impossible. Mike I think you slipped in dialogue from one of your skits about some generic failson failing upwards through the coaching ranks -- just to see if we'd notice.
Great article BTW! Hope you enjoyed good ol' Indianapolis... People who come here only during the combine must think it's some sort of bustling NFL mecca or something.
Man, I love those Ewoks.
The "They Might Trade Aiyuk" thing is the traditional nonsense that follows the KS 49ers. Remember when KS said "it would be very difficult for a rookie to displace Jimmy G" and the media spent months interpreting that as "TREY LANCE IS GONNA START"? Deebo's gone because Deebo was done and I think in 6 months we will learn that Deebo is pretty much just done.
Also, it's Ricky Pearsall not "Jimmy."
I think you mean 'deprivation experiment'. Sorry for going Mr Spock on you.
Hey man, the Klingon people do NOT deserve that!
O. Henry, Odd Job and Yoda...what a trifecta.