San Francisco 49ers Week 16 Stock Report

Stock down: San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke.

I asked Baalke in March who the leaders on the Niners would be after Patrick Willis retired and Frank Gore signed with the Indianapolis Colts.

“There are leaders on this football team—they’re just not the keynote names that you’ve become accustomed to here,” he said, via the Press Democrat. “There is plenty of leadership. When leaders move on, others step up.”

Apparently, not in this case. Baalke misread his roster.

During the fourth quarter of the Niners’ 10th loss, CBS sideline reporter Jay Feely spoke about the team’s leadership issue (h/t CSNBayArea.com, the Press Democrat): “They knew what they were getting into when they had all the defections. (Chief operating officer Al Guido) said they underestimated a little bit the impact that it had on the locker room, specifically the lack of leadership.”

That means Baalke underestimated the lack of leadership—he’s in charge of personnel. It’s possible the Niners will hold him responsible for the team’s terrible season.

This is the Week 16 stock report.

Stock Up: Jimmie Ward

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Over the past three weeks, Niners slot cornerback Jimmie Ward was the highest-rated corner in the NFL with a grade of plus-9.0. The second-highest-graded corner during that time period was Jason Verrett of the San Diego Chargers (plus-7.1).

Check out the numbers Ward has produced since Week 13: Three catches allowed for just 10 total receiving yards, two tackles for loss and one interception. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a passer rating of just 10.7 when targeting Ward’s coverage.

Ward struggled early in his career—he played safety in college and had to adjust to a new position in the pros. He seems to have adjusted well.

Stock Down: Eric Reid

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Eric Reid used to hit hard.

Now, instead of launching his body into ball-carriers like he used to, Reid has been slowing down and trying to grab them. That isn’t what a safety is supposed to do.

A safety isn’t supposed to get knocked back five yards by 210-pound running back Duke Johnson like Reid did in Week 14. A safety isn’t supposed to get shoulder-checked to the ground by 205-pound running back Giovani Bernard like Reid did in Week 15.

Reid seems to be protecting himself—he has suffered three concussions in his career. If he doesn’t change his mindset, the Niners may have to replace him.

Stock Up: Shaun Draughn

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Running back Shaun Draughn injured his knee against the Cincinnati Bengals, and according to ESPN's Adam Caplan, his status is day-to-day.

Forget the injury for a second—Draughn has boosted his stock tremendously in the past month whether or not he plays this Sunday or the rest of the season.

The Niners are Draughn’s sixth team. They signed him off the street in Week 9 when his career seemed just about over. In just six games with San Francisco, Draughn has gained 438 yards from scrimmage despite playing behind a bad offensive line, not attending Niners training camp and hardly knowing their playbook.

Draughn will almost certainly get a job in the NFL next season as some team’s No. 2 running back. Good for him.

Stock Down: Vance McDonald

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Vance McDonald may be out of chances.

The Niners drafted McDonald in the second round of the 2013 draft. The tight end from Rice was supposed to replace Delanie Walker, one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and become a cornerstone of the Niners offense.

That hasn’t happened. In three seasons, McDonald has caught just 32 passes and dropped nine, including two this past Sunday which he tipped into the hands of players on the other team. If only Blaine Gabbert hadn’t thrown to McDonald, the Niners might have won that game.

Time to find a new tight end.

Stock Up: Trent Brown

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The 49ers drafted offensive tackle Trent Brown in the seventh round this year with the intention of sitting him for a season so he could develop.

Before Week 15, Brown had played only nine snaps. But he had to play 34 on Sunday against the Bengals. Starting right guard Marcus Martin suffered a concussion, and starting right tackle Erik Pears had to replace him.

So, Brown became the new right tackle. He was fantastic, allowing zero sacks, hits or hurries, and earning a grade of plus-2.4.

The Niners should play Brown the rest of the season. They need to find out what they have.

Follow @grantcohn on Twitter.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.