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The San Francsico 49ers have announced that defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, the team’s first-round pick in the 2008 draft, has agreed to terms.
Balmer, who played college football at North Carolina, was the 29th overall selection in the draft.
The Niners had sent their own 2008 first-rounder to the Pats as part of a 2007 draft-day trade. A trade with the Colts had given San Fran the spot that would have been held by Indianapolis in the first round this year.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I still think the Niners would take Joe Staley, now converting to LT, over anyone else in the first round this year. Staley started 100% of the teams offensive snaps, one of the few (if not only) OL to do so. If he transitions well to the LT position, people will forget about the 7th overall selection a lot quicker.
Balmer is a bit of a head scratcher selection though. He’d be an ideal 4-3 DT, yet the Niners continue to employ the 3-4. With Smith also being signed, the personnel definitely favours a 4-3, especially if they wanted Money Lawson to move back to DE. Plus, the more hogs up front, the more guys Willis won’t have to shed.
The Niners couldn’t create a breeze on the QB, let alone get close to make a pressure or sack last year. Ofcourse, a large part was Lawson going down to injury early on, and Tully Banta-C’aint proving to be an overrated signing.
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July 24th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
He said “Bag Balm”! Heh! Heh-heh!
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July 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Damn, MaineMan beat me to it!
HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!!
That’s about the funniest headline you’ve ever had, Florio.
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July 24th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Balmer, actually, is the first defensive lineman we’ve picked that actually made sense for the 3-4 that Nolan hopes to run. Except for possibly McDonald, every other lineman drafted has been either two weak to play NT, or too slow to play DE, even if looking the part.
Balmer, however, is perfect for a 3-4 DE. You want space-eater types of guys who can hold the point of attack, yet a bit shifter than 4-3 DTs to make plays on the edge or backfield if they need to be. That’s why smaller, more athletic DTs in a 4-3 are perfect for a DE in a 3-4. Balmer is a big guy, with tremendous strength (in college anyways), who can make plays on the edge as he has above-average athleticism for a person that size.
As for fitting better with a 4-3 defensive line, you may be right. Justin Smith certainly would be better with a hand in the dirt if we played a base 4-3 as he’s a bit undersized for a 3-4 DE, but our coaches are aware of this. Thus, he’s going to get plenty of time as an OLB in the 3-4, and also played a little DE. As for Manny Lawson, I always feared that while he would be great at getting outside if he played a 4-3 DE, his frame is too tall and wirey to make any moves inside for a sack. Thus, he’s a better fit standing up in a 3-4, where we can move him around, and use his speed to get through openings against unaware offensive linemen.
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July 24th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
spfhelmiii -
Good info and nice analysis! Thanks!
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July 24th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Thank you spfhelmiii, for giving me the bright side of it. It seems lately, I’ve been a little too pesimistic. But can you blame me?
Just another side note about Smith. He played in 100% of his team’s defensive snaps last year, so yes, the guy can grind. I just hope he can adjust to the OLB fast, not in a year, but by opening kickoff.
As for Balmer, he’s got “one-year wonder” written all over him. I just hope the coaching staff can get him to buy into the scheme, and play like he has something to prove (like his final year at NC). I do like his space eating size, and his strength at DE in a 3-4, but will he adapt? Will he care?
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July 24th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
drew -
Not sure what the ‘Niners expectations were for Banta-Cain, but his individual stats were pretty much the same as they had been for NE the previous year. He was down to 3.5 sacs from 5.5, but his tackles and assists were nearly identical, plus he knocked down a couple of passes and fell on an ARZ endzone fumble for a TD. Banta-Cain is a very good, reliable relief man, but was never destined to be a full time starter.
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July 24th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Balmer will absolutely care; he’s a nice, high-quality, Nolan-type guy, with a passion for the game. He’s been a 49ers fan since he was a kid, since his truck-drivin’ dad is a 49er fanatic.
That being said, I’m not sure if he ever develops into anything (do Nolan-guys ever, unless their name is Patrick Willis?). Character-wise, he’s an A+. Talent-wise, I was never sold on him. He was stood up an awful lot at the point of attack in college, without mandating a double-team. He also wasn’t even on anyone’s radar until his senior year, though that could be due to better coaching. He’s got great lateral ability getting to the sidelines, but I’m afraid he may get man-handled at the next level. Frankly, he was one of those players that was never regarded as dominant, but rather that he fit the physical expectations of a 4-3 DT / 3-4 DE and had decent production.
Still, he looks the part, and should fit if he develops. He needs to add upper-body strength, I think, and get lower at the point of attack for better leverage. That can be done.
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July 25th, 2008 at 9:40 am
drew, the 49ers got to the opposing qbs several times per game, it just happened during the team handshake rather than during plays.
As a big fan i hope this combination holds up. Nolan has drafted poorly aside from last year and this needs to be a solid pick that frees up the d-line to get to the qb. I love a good defense but it is irrelevant if you can’t sack the qb.
Go 49ers and heres hoping for 7 wins.
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