San Francisco 49ers: You're Either All in or You're Out
Head coach Mike Singletary and team president Jed York are not messing around.
You can call it tough love, or perhaps just an intolerance for lackadaisical effort, but the two most influential people in charge of the San Francisco 49ers have made it very clear to their personnel. You are either all in and committed to the program, or you will be gone.
We take a look at six careers affected by this no nonsense approach.
6. Former 49er Wide Receiver Brandon Jones Is Out
1 of 7
When the San Francisco 49ers acquired Brandon Jones, big things were expected of him. Jones was supposed to provide a big play receiving threat for the 49ers, as well as contribute as a punt return man. These things never happened.
The 49ers GM at the time, Scot McCloughan, signed Brandon Jones as a free agent, heading into the 2009 season. Jones received a five year contract for $16.5 million, including a $5.4 million signing bonus.
In training camp last year, Jones suffered a broken shoulder. This was the first of a whole slew of injuries that always seemed to keep Jones off the field. As the injuries added up, Jones' stock fell with the 49er brain trust. Questions about his desire to play seemed to underlie Jones' never ending string of injuries.
After catching a total of 62 passes in two seasons with Tennessee, Jones caught just one pass in 2009, with the 49ers. Jones continued to fall down the depth chart this preseason and was released.
Putting Brandon Jones on this list may be a bit unfair, because he was not known as a malcontent. Nevertheless, whether it was just a lot of bad luck, or an unwillingness to play through injuries, Jones simply did not contribute and was a waste of money.
5. Nate Davis Gets A Second Chance In San Francisco
2 of 7
Nate Davis was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, out of Ball State. Davis lasted until round five largely due to a known learning disability which requires a lot more repetition and patience with his learning curve.
Nate Davis has a wealth of athletic ability and has a cannon for an arm. He is a big, strong kid and can throw the deep ball better than any of the other 49er quarterbacks.
However, there is a lot more to the quarterback position than just having a strong arm. Nate Davis was chastised by head coach Mike Singletary for not working hard enough to learn his craft. If there's one thing you do not want Singletary to question, it's your work ethic.
According to Singletary, Davis did not work hard enough in the off season to learn and improve on his understanding of the finer points of the quarterback position. There were also concerns that he was not developing fast enough, as he made quite a few mistakes during his opportunities in the preseason games.
In a somewhat surprising move, the 49ers released Davis, after originally keeping him on their 53 man roster. When Baltimore cut quarterback Troy Smith, the 49ers opted to sign him and let Davis go.
Davis was not picked up by any other team, so the Niners ultimately decided to bring him back and put him on their practice squad. The message to Davis is quite clear. He is on very thin ice with coach Singletary and he needs to prove that he will put in the effort and begin making bigger strides on the learning curve.
4. Kentwan Balmer Never Pans Out In San Francisco
3 of 7
Kentwan Balmer was the round one draft pick for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2008 draft. Former GM Scot McCloughan expected Balmer to be a strong presence on the 49er defensive line. He was wrong.
There were questions about Balmer's work ethic and desire, coming out of college from North Carolina. The head coach at the time, Mike Nolan, and McCloughan disregarded these concerns and drafted Balmer in the first round, anyway.
In two seasons with the 49ers, Balmer recorded only twelve total tackles and zero sacks. In a classic move of arrogant stupidity, Balmer could not understand why he was not starting and why he was dropping on the Niner depth chart.
Let me make this more clear for Mr. Balmer. You recorded twelve tackles and no sacks in two seasons. You did not work as hard as you should have in practices. The Niners signed you to a five year $11.5 million contract with $6 million guaranteed. You collected your money and you under achieved.
The 49ers probably would have kept Balmer on the roster had he not complained and become a distraction. His increasingly poor attitude, combined with a lack of production, sealed his fate with the Niners. This is the type of thing that Mike Singletary will not tolerate.
The 49ers couldn't get rid of Balmer quickly enough. They took a sixth round draft pick for him, from the Seattle Seahawks.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
3. Alex Smith Is Named A Team Captain For The 49ers
4 of 7
Alex Smith has earned the respect of his teammates and head coach Mike Singletary. Smith was named a team captain, a move that Singletary does not take lightly.
According to Singletary, Smith has shown outstanding leadership throughout training camp and deserves the honor. Smith has also earned high praise from his teammates.
It's amazing how the landscape has changed for Alex Smith. This time last year, Smith could not beat out Shawn Hill for the starting quarterback job and many considered the former number one overall pick in the 2005 draft a bust.
To Smith's credit, he has worked hard in practice and studied even harder. Smith now has a very good command of the offense and this has given him the confidence to lead his teammates.
When Mike Singletary named Vernon Davis a team captain last season, it was a sign of the growth and maturity that Davis had exhibited. Alex Smith is now displaying the same type of growth and maturity that Davis did last year and he is being suitably rewarded.
The 49ers have the inside track to win the division in 2010 and Alex Smith's development is crucial to their playoff aspirations.
2. Scot McCloughan Is Asked To Leave The 49ers
5 of 7
Scot McCloughan joined the 49ers as the VP of Player Personnel in 2005. He was then promoted to GM in January 2008. Shortly before the 2010 draft, team president Jed York announced that McCloughan was leaving the 49ers.
The reasons for McCloughan's departure are not clear, although the term "personal issues", has been stated on numerous occasions. The bottom line is that Jed York was unwilling to let McCloughan's personal problems affect the 49ers in any way.
In addition to the vague personal issues situation, McCloughan has made several major mistakes in trying to improve the 49er roster. Two big mistakes, that were also very expensive, have already been mentioned in this report.
The signing of Brandon Jones was a mistake as was the drafting of Kentwan Balmer. A team that finishes out of the playoffs and has a high draft pick, simply cannot whiff on their selection. As I mentioned, there were concerns about the heart and work ethic of Balmer, yet McCloughan drafted him anyway.
In addition, last years round three draft pick, Glen Coffee, decided that his heart wasn't in the game and quit the team. I can virtually guarantee that if Mike Singletary had been able to speak with Coffee at length prior to the 2009 draft, the 49ers probably would not have picked him.
Getting nothing out of a round one and round three draft pick in successive years is how bad teams remain bad.
To make matter worse, the 49ers were also stripped of a 2008 fifth round draft pick when the NFL deemed that the 49ers were guilty of tampering, when they were looking to entice Chicago Bear linebacker Lance Briggs to sign with them.
This was under the watch of Scot McCloughan and was an embarassment to the 49ers, as well as the loss of an important draft pick. I was surprised at the time that the Niners kept McCloughan around.
When the current 49er regime cut Brandon Jones, Kentwan Balmer and Michael Robinson, they all ended up with the Seattle Seahawks. Only Robinson was a highly respected player, and that was not as a running back, but because of his special teams play and leadership.
I'm sure Scot McCloughan was a major factor in the Seahawks signing these three ex 49ers. By taking on Jones and Balmer, McCloughan is showing an inability to realize his mistakes and is perpetuating those errors. Jones has since been cut from the Seattle roster.
There were undoubtedly several factors as to why McCloughan was let go by the 49ers. The biggest issue was that he was not completely focussed on the team, due to the personal issues he faced. Once again, if you are not committed, the 49ers will not stand for it and you will be gone.
1. Vernon Davis Scores For The 49ers
6 of 7
Vernon Davis reached a key point in his career, midway through the 2008 season. Mike Singletary had just replaced Mike Nolan as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
Singletary was extremely upset with the me first attitude of Vernon Davis and banished him to the locker room during the game. Davis had a big decision to make.
Vernon Davis could either sulk and play the role of the prima donna, or he could adhere to the tough ways of his coach, Mike Singletary. Fortunately for Davis and the 49ers, he chose wisely. Many professional athletes would have sulked and continued with their self absorbed attitude.
Following the game, Singletary met with the press and made his now famous, "I want winners", declaration. Vernon Davis made a conscious decision not to pout, but to toe the line and listen to his head coach.
From that day forward, Vernon Davis began to grow up as a player and as a man. The rapid maturation of Davis was one of the most amazing turn arounds I have ever seen in a pro athlete. He became the hard working, team oriented player that coach Singletary demanded.
Davis went on to prove his worth to the team on and off the field for the remainder of the 2008 season. At the start of the 2009 season, Singletary rewarded Davis by making him a team captain, very similar to what he did with Alex Smith this year.
Vernon Davis is now one of the true leaders of the team. This was quite evident a week ago when he called out wide receiver Michael Crabtree during a Niner practice. Davis was fed up with the cavalier attitude of Crabtree and let him know it.
The two engaged in a heated verbal altercation that lasted several minutes, until Singletary led both of them into the locker room. Davis returned to practice a few minutes later. Crabtree had a private discussion with coach Singletary and the two returned a few minutes afterwards.
Crabtree had been acting like a diva and was not working in the kind of focused manner that was expected of him. Other players were also annoyed with his behavior, but it was Vernon Davis that took the initiative to step up and say something to the second year receiver.
When Singletary met with the media, following this situation, he stated that Davis could have handled the situation better, but did not disagree with the message that Davis gave Crabtree. In fact, Singletary praised Davis for his leadership and stated that the 49ers became a closer team because of the incident.
Crabtree seems like an impressionable young man and he has many people, including the always self promoting Deion Sanders, telling him how great he is. Vernon Davis put Crabtree in his place, essentially telling him that no one player is more important than the whole team.
Good teams police themselves and this was a great example of that concept. Vernon Davis has listened to Mike Singletary, learned what is expected of him, and committed himself to the team.
At the crossroad of his young career, Vernon Davis chose to go "all in". He and the 49ers are much better because of that decision.
49er Team President Jed York Has Surrounded Himself With The Right People
7 of 7
When Jed York assumed control of the San Francisco 49ers, many scoffed at the idea. Jed is the son of former team president John York and his wife Denise DeBartolo York. Jed's uncle, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., was the owner during the 49er's glory years.
When Jed took over the team, he was in his late twenties and had very little NFL experience. He did a lot of talking with Uncle Eddie and has brought a passion and drive to the 49ers.
Jed York made his first bold move by hiring Mike Singletary to be the head coach of the 49ers, replacing Mike Nolan, who was fired midway through the 2008 season. York and Singletary have a very good working relationship and both men bring a positive, high energy passion to the 49ers.
Jed York was also the key force behind the recent ballot victory, for the new 49er stadium, in Santa Clara.
Jed York and Mike Singletary embody the kind of focused, "all in" commitment the 49ers had been lacking for many years. It is this commitment that ensures that players and executives that have not fully bought in to the goals and work ethic of this team are ushered out.
Those who do buy in are rewarded by having personnel around them that are similarly committed. The 49ers have quickly removed the bad apples and built this team with hard working, tough minded individuals that are "all in".
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")