Saltzman Says...Football is back

With the lockout officially over, I can finally start talking about the NFL again.  I refused to provide my two cents during the millionaires vs billionaires slap fight.

San Francisco 49ers: With the Free Agency period under way, things aren't looking so good for the men in Gold.

1. Alex Smith was re-signed for $5 million.  The 49ers seem to never learn from the previous 6 seasons.  Smith will not be a good QB no matter who is calling the plays.  You can dress up a turd, but it is still a turd.
2. Takeo Spikes, the emotional leader and second best LB on the team is leaving to reunite with departed defensive coordinator Greg Manusky in San Diego.  With Harbaugh and his staff comes a great loss to the defense.
3. Frank Gore is planning to holdout.  Gore has one year left on his contract and wants more money.  Running backs tend to wear down as they get older more than any other position, and the most valuable offensive player now plans to miss even more time on the field in the off-season.
4. The team also lost center David Baas to the New York Giants.

Oakland Raiders:  The Raiders started the shortened off-season with 17 free agents, many more than they had initally anticipated.

1. The list of 17 include offensive leader Zach Miller, who is team's only reliable threat in the passing game.  
2. Nnamdi Asomugha, arguably the best cover corner in football is as good as gone in free agency.
3. With all of that, the Raiders are well over the new cap.

All in all, things are not looking good for our two Bay Area pro football teams.  Things can turn around, but we will see.

Saltzman Says...Harbaugh can afford to be patient

2011 Draft Recap: 49ers Edition

The 49ers certainly stunned some fans with their first selection.  When the pick came in, many people felt the 49ers would snag a highly touted prospect out of Missouri.  Well they were right.  However, when the pick turned out to be Aldon Smith instead of Blaine Gabbert, it certainly shocked a lot of fans.

Harbaugh is not in a win or else mode like many other coaches.  Teams who have GM's and Head Coaches on the hot seat pick for now.  Harbaugh can afford to pick for tomorrow.

When a team selects a project in the first or second round, as the 49ers did with Aldon Smith and QB Colin Kaepernick, they are hoping to have a great team in two or three years.  A coach like Harbaugh can afford to make those selections because he should still be here in 2013 and beyond.  His predecessors, Mike Singletary and Mike Nolan drafted with the same philosophy, and now Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Joe Staley and Michael Crabtree are Harbaugh's players.  It's a cutthroat business to draft players knowing someone else might end up coaching them through their prime years.  That will be the case with Staley and Crabtree for Harbaugh.

In time, Smith could become an elite pass rusher, and Kaepernick could become the star QB for the 49ers.  The two biggest questions are will that actually happen and will Harbaugh be around long enough to see it?

It's easy to smile in the first year of a five year contract.  Will Harbaugh be smiling in 2014?