Month: March 2015

Falling 49ers

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, Free Agency, NFL

San Francisco seemed to have a revelation on its hands two years ago. At this time in 2013, the 49ers were about a month removed from a Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, it was the team’s first trip to the NFL Title game since Steve Young was under center back in 1994. The Niners seemed set for years to come with a young gunslinger with incredible speed running the show in Colin Kaepernick. He was supported by a dominant running game led by Frank Gore and had Pro Bowl caliber receivers in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. He had a top-tier offensive line in front of him as well. San Francisco’s defense ranked as the best in the business, with talent at all three levels. Fast forward these past two years to now and everything is falling apart. It is time for this Bay Area team to begin a rebuild.

The 49ers are seeing the foundation of the team crumble before their eyes. Aging running back Frank Gore is headed to Philadelphia. Michael Crabtree is searching for a new club to sign with. All-Pro guard Mike Iupati is entertaining other offers. Defensive stalwarts Justin Smith and Patrick Willis both announced their retirements. Oh and Jim Harbaugh is in Ann Arbor. This team is going through an extreme makeover right now and it will likely continue in the coming days as free agency opens. The 49ers have some major holes to fill and will not be able to in just one offseason.

Let’s start with Gore’s departure. The blow is lessened by his already declining play last year and the presence of Carlos Hyde but still this changes the dynamic of San Francisco’s running game. Neither Gore nor Hyde were transcendent in 2014 but together they formed a pretty good backfield tandem. Now Hyde is left to pick up the slack and it is unclear if he has what it takes to do that. Hyde is a downhill runner, much like Gore, who will drag a defender or two along with him but he is very limited as a pass catcher. Gore excelled in the pass game, meaning that the Niners will need to find a way to replace that element of their offense.

Crabtree’s imminent move out of San Francisco leaves the 49ers with very little talent at wideout. While he was not as productive this past seasons as he was in years past, Crabtree still provided Kaepernick with a big target. Boldin is still a good receiver, but as he will turn 35 this October, he is past his prime. The Niners have been searching for new talent at wide receiver for years now, adding players such as A.J. Jenkins, Brandon Lloyd and Quinton Patton in recent years, but none has turned into a solid contributor.

Iupati has been an integral part of San Francisco’s dominant ground attack in the past few seasons. If he leaves, the 49ers will be scrambling to find a replacement. Already, cracks have started to show in the offensive line, as they allowed the third highest number of sacks last season with 52. The two teams who allowed more are Jacksonville and Washington and the team that allowed the same amount was Tampa Bay. No, matter how you look at it, that is not good company to have.

For Smith and Willis, the impact will be felt fairly quickly but will not be as severe as many fear. This 49ers defense was outstanding last season ranking fifth overall in yards per game allowed and tenth in points conceded per game. Willis missed a lot of time last year due to injury and Smith saw his numbers slip. Their leadership will be sorely missed but San Francisco will recover well. Chris Borland is already in place to fill the void of Willis and with over $21 million in cap space, San Francisco could make a run at top defensive ends in free agency like Greg Hardy or B.J. Raji.

The 49ers have some work to do defensively but with most of the defense staying intact, offense will be the priority. The 49ers will still be competitive this year but look for the team to try to find new ways to utilize Kaepernick. They will also add a veteran running back, potentially C.J. Spiller or Ryan Matthews on short, “prove it” deals. The draft will be very important as the Niners are sure look to add a top end receiver and help along the offensive line. This team will still be competing for a playoff spot come December next season, but with how tough the NFC is, it will be a year or two before the cherry red and gold make it back to the postseason. Sure some rebuilding is needed, but much of the foundation can still stay the same.

MLS expansion battle

Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer ,

The LA Galaxy kicked off the MLS season on Friday night with a 2-0 drubbing of the Chicago Fire. The defending champs picked up right where they left off but the excitement will really peak tonight when Orlando SC hosts NYCFC. These two are both playing in their first ever MLS game and the hype surrounding each of them is incredible. Despite them being new to the league, they should both be in contention for the playoffs and even the MLS Cup. Through the expansion draft, Orlando and NYCFC have a solid amount of young talent mixed with some wily veterans. Each team has their own superstar. Here are the keys to this expansion showdown.

First and foremost, this is going to be an electric atmosphere. Orlando sold out tickets for this game with an estimated 60,000 fans expected to be in attendance. Most MLS stadiums are lucky to draw half that many people. It will definitely be an advantage for Orlando to have the home field advantage. For a team as young as NYCFC is, that will be a difficult challenge to overcome.

Then there are the two superstars playing in this match. For Orlando, the former Brazilian international will be running the show. On the New York side, former Spanish superstar David Villa will be the talisman. The two each had a long, illustrious careers at the domestic level in Europe. They even faced off a handful of times when Kaka donned a Real Madrid shirt and Villa suited up for FC Barcelona. Each will leave his mark on this game one way or another. They are easily the best players for their respective clubs, and that will show.

This game will likely be a little sloppy at first as it is the first meaningful game of the year. I expect the first thirty minutes to be full of mistakes and missed opportunity as each team attempts to shake of the rust and deal with nerves. After that, look for the pace to slow down a little as both clubs find a bit of a rhythm and play for possession. It will be evident that none of these guys have played with each other for more than a few months but each team has some top talent. The ball will often run through Mix Diskerud and Ned Grabavoy for NYC. Kaka and Okungo will do the majority of the heavy lifting for Orlando. The defense for both sides is a little uncertain so look for some goals in this one.

Throw out whatever you saw during the previous preseasons matchup between these squads. It has no bearing on this game and the emotion alone will ensure that. This one will be hotly contested and sure to produce a few goals. However, Orlando will claim the title of better expansion team in round one with an eventual 2-1 victory. Tune in to ESPN2 to catch MLS history being made.

NFL Cornerstones: Free Safety

Chris McGlynn Cornerstones, Football, NFL , , , , ,

Cornerstone players will be a recurring theme on Second Look Sports where I look at each position in a certain sport and I choose a cornerstone player to build my franchise around. I have a couple of parameters for this selection though. I will factor in age, potential, injury history, experience, reputation and production. I think this should be a fun and interesting topic to discuss on here. I hope you all agree.

The selection: Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
Honorable mentions: Rahim Moore, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Harrison Smith, Devin McCourty, Tashaun Gipson

If speed kills, strength intimidates and Earl Thomas has both. The Seattle free safety is a bullet flying around in the secondary, simply wreaking havoc. Thomas is a dominant defender on one of the best defenses in NFL history. That right there should speak volumes about his play. There are several other talented players at the free safety position but comparatively, none of them bring the incredible cumulative skill set that Thomas does.

Thomas has some of the most important attributes to playing safety in the NFL, but he has some other traits that set him apart. Thomas is still young, at just 25-years old and 5 years played in the league. His youth spells years of elite production to come. And he can be counted on to stay on the field. Since joining the Seahawks in 2010, Thomas has yet to miss a game, starting every single one of them. He has dependability and consistency, something many of the other players considered do not. Thomas’ biggest competition came from a fellow member of the 2010 draft class.

Devin McCourty burst onto the scene in his rookie season with 7 interceptions and 17 passes defended. He has yet to ever match that kind of productivity. Not that anyone every really expected him to based on the absurd level at which he played. Over their careers, McCourty and Thomas have posted very similar stats in their respective five-year span. It makes the decision between the two very difficult.

As a pass defender, McCourty does have a slight advantage. He has recorded 17 interceptions in his career to Thomas’ 16. That is very close but McCourty blows Thomas out of the water when it comes to disrupted passes with the split standing 58 to 38. However, that could also mean that McCourty is thrown at more. Either way, McCourty has topped Thomas in two of the most important categories for free safeties. The question remains how does Thomas get selected? Well…

Thomas is a far superior tackler than McCourty. Thomas has racked up 442 tackles or 88 per season. His Patriot counterpart has only 388 or roughly 77 a year. Thomas is all over the field, getting involved in as many plays as he can. Not that McCourty doesn’t but Thomas certainly does it better. In terms of making things happen when they make the tackle, the two once again are inseparable. Both have forced eight fumbles in their career. Thomas has a slight advantage here though with his four fumble recoveries to McCourty’s one. Both have almost identical run stopping numbers as well with 13 run stuffs for McCourty and 11 for Thomas.

It is near impossible to separate these two based on statistics alone. However, based on their skills there is a bit of a gap. McCourty and Thomas have very similar body types, both measuring in at 5 foot 10 inches. Thomas does weigh slightly more at 202 pounds compared to McCourty’s 195. However, Thomas’ blazing speed, impeccable awareness and superior strength set him apart. You can argue that Thomas has better running mates than McCourty but McCourty’s surrounding talent is Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Not to mention that McCourty benefits from playing under one of the best defensive coaches of all-time.

Simply stated, this is a very close call. However, I like Thomas’ tenacity and speed. Those two things make him a dynamic player, not to mention that they are traits that you cannot coach. On top of that, Thomas is two years younger than McCourty, giving him hopefully a little bit larger window to play at an elite level. Either one would be great to build at defense around, but Thomas’ physical tools make him the better selection.

For more Cornerstone selections, click here.

Shocking trade changes the landscape of the NFL

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , ,

It might have only been a swap of two players but the impact is immense. A trade that no one saw coming was agreed upon today between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles swapping to big name players. The Eagles sent star running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills in exchange for the promising Kiko Alonso. The trade will not be finalized until Tuesday because that is the official start of the new league year but it seems pretty safe to assume that this deal is going to go through. The deal is a shocking one that will impact much of both team’s offseasons.

If I am an Eagles fan, I am not happy right now. Sure, Alonso is one of the most talented young players in the league but he is still relatively unproven. He has played one season in the NFL in 2013 and then missed all of 2014 with a knee injury. So even with how productive he was as a rookie, Alonso is not a guarantee, particularly coming off the major injury. This also comes off as Head Coach Chip Kelly showing he will not be bullied in Philly. He landed yet another ex-Oregon player for his squad and while I think Alonso will be a boost to a battered linebacking corps, the team definitely had other needs.

On top of all of that, McCoy is now a Bill. Philadelphia just sent the best running back in franchise history packing because Kelly “did not like his contract.” With how much the landscape of the league has shifted to a pass-happy one, McCoy certainly does carry a hefty price tag at tail back but his impact on the game expanded well beyond the ground game. The man known as Shady did it all in an Eagles uniform. He racked up 1300-plus yards rushing in three of the past four years. He also caught at least 40 balls every year of his career but this last one. McCoy is a multifaceted player with the big play ability to break a game open. He will be sorely missed in Philly next year.

For the Bills, this shores up their injury riddled backfield. The addition of McCoy also ensures that C.J. Spiller will be on his way out, as he has already announced to the media. It also lessens the Bills’ concerns at quarterback. This takes a lot of the pressure off E.J. Manuel to lead this offense and gives him a new weapon in the passing game. Concerns have been raised about McCoy’s ability to hold up under the stress of another season of 300 plus carries but the likelihood is that Fred Jackson will spell him and keep his carry count down closer to 250 on the season. Rex Ryan has always been a fan of having multiple backs to shoulder the load. The Bills managed to do a lot to help their offense with this acquisition and avoided hurting their defense. Buffalo’s defense ranked in the top five last season even without Alonso and will be ready for the challenge again with few starters likely to be leaving.

What this means for both teams going forward is that their offseason plans have now altered. The Bills, who sit without a first round draft pick this season, will likely focus on adding depth to its front seven and offensive line with their draft picks. It also leaves them with plenty of money to resign a couple of defensive studs as well. There is no doubt that this team will be in play for a big name corner as well as Ryan loves cornerback depth. For the Eagles, they now jump into the top five of teams with money to spend this offseason. That could mean that they can lock up Jeremy Maclin to a long-term deal as well as take a stab at a big name free agent to solidify that defense. Byron Maxwell is already rumored to be headed to the City of Brotherly Love. Could Ndamokung Suh join him to solidify this defense? That is now a possibility with the $48 million the Eagles now have to spend. With no clear starting running back on the roster, the Eagles now become players to draft one of the talented rushers in this year’s draft.

Both teams ensured that they will look different heading into next year. It seems like the Bills will be buying into Rex Ryan’s ground and pound mentality with the two-headed dragon in McCoy and Jackson. Meanwhile, the Eagles are showing commitment to rebuilding a defense that let down the team in big games last season. Kelly also officially put his stamp on the team in his new role as head of personnel. Lots of work is still left to be done on both sides but this is clearly a big jump-start into the reshaping both teams are doing to make a run at the playoffs in 2015 after narrowly missing out on the action last season.

MLS season in jeopardy

Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer

MLS officials sent a message to its players today. The league owners rejected every single request from the Players’ Union for free agency in the MLS. I wrote a little while back about how the league needed to decide which direction it would head in. As of right now, it seems like the owners are going to stand firm and resist all change. Unfortunately for American soccer fans, it is looking more and more likely that a work stoppage is coming for MLS.

After this complete dismissal of the players’ proposal for free agency, I would not even remotely surprised to see a strike. The athletes might not get to set all of the rules for how the league runs, but they were blatantly disrespected by the owners’ response. Steven Goff reported that the owners offered one proposal to the players, only one. And the offer was ridiculous. The owners were willing to grant free agency to players who met a very specific set of essentially unachievable requirements. Players over the age of 32 would be able to become free agents under this proposal, assuming he had player at least 10 years for his club. Those specifications are absurd in just about any sport, but even more so with soccer based on how frequently players switch clubs.

This proposal was nothing more than throwing fuel on the fire for the owners. They did not take the demand for free agency seriously and insulted the players in the counter offer. The quote now floating around for an unnamed MLS insider underlines the owner’s resistance. “It is shocking. [It is] almost as if owners want a work stoppage. They view players as incidental to MLS’ growth.” (Via Bleacher Report). Any professional sports league unwilling to recognize that the players are the driving force of the success is doomed for failure. Clearly, there is tension between the players and owners and it is highly unlikely they will be resolved before Friday’s scheduled kickoff for the new season.

This is going to stunt the growth and popularity of MLS big time. Coming off of one of the most exciting World Cups in recent memory, a large number of the members of the US Men’s National team coming to play domestically this year and two brand new expansion franchise set to feature some of the world’s biggest stars, this was supposed to be a huge year for MLS. If the league fails to deliver at all, or experiences a drawn out ordeal, fans will turn away feeling betrayed. All of the pent up excitement will die out as American’s once again look elsewhere to find their sporting fix. If the league fails to understand the gravity this season holds for its further development, then it is only a matter of time before the wheels fall off.

I have made the point already that the league needs to choose a direction to head in for the coming season. They have all of these plans for expansion through 2020 but if MLS is unable to find a way to accommodate players and get them on the field then all of that future expansion is for naught. Sure, the players might be acting a little selfish and focusing on their best interests, but they are the ones out on the pitch every week. They also understand how important this season could be to the next step in growth for the MLS popularity. They comprehend how vital they are to making that all happen so they are going to fight for what they want.

There might still be a couple of days but mark my words: MLS will not be ready to kickoff by Friday. It might only take another week or so past there, limiting the damage and missed games, but there is no way that the league will find an agreeable solution in time. For fans of MLS, this comes as a major disappointment. The reality is that the league needs this season to happen. It cannot afford to lose the season to a strike. The players have the majority of the leverage. Soon enough, MLS will have to fold. My guess is that by the end of next week we will see some sort of tentative agreement in place. It likely won’t solve everything, more just act as a band aid to get the season up and running. The owners sent one message. The players will likely send one back: we are willing to wait. The ball is in your court MLS, and the clock is ticking.