49ers: Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy Talks Free Agency and NFL Draft with Chat Sports
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise site expert Peter Panacy joined Chat Sports’ Tom Downey to talk the San Francisco 49ers’ actions in both free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft. You’ll want to give it a read.
The San Francisco 49ers were one of the more active teams in NFL free agency this offseason. And while the initial wave has died down, the Niners could still be active in coming weeks.
San Francisco is also expected to make some splashes in the upcoming NFL Draft this April.
As such, Tom Downey of Chat Sports reached out to Niner Noise site expert Peter Panacy (me, in case you hadn’t figured that out) to discuss all the Niners’ actions when free agency hit as well as what’s on tap for the red and gold during the draft.
San Francisco 49ers
You can check out the full Chat Sports article here.
Downey does more than just talk 49ers. There’s a good deal of material you’ll want to cover from his work. But let’s scoot on over to some of the San Francisco discussion.
The 49ers Questions
First, Downey asked me what I thought of general manager John Lynch’s actions in free agency, to which I responded:
"The 49ers were very active in free agency, and they needed to be. But the overall point of this free-agent draw wasn’t to bring in the best and most-expensive player at each position. Instead, the Niners loaded up on blue-chip players who would be notable improvements over what was on the roster a year ago.As Ian Rapoport said on KNBR 680 the other morning, “the 49ers improved their middle class.” That’s the approach, and it’s probably the right way to go."
I also touted the signing of quarterback Brian Hoyer as my favorite. Sure, he’s not the long-term fix here. But he’s about as good a bridge option — and hopeful mentor — as you can have.
Yet the one signing that left me a little perplexed was linebacker Malcolm Smith. Sure, his Super Bowl MVP is a nice accolade to have. But his play has been on the decline ever since. At best, he’s a teacher for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s system.
Downey also asked me about which player I’d take at No. 2 overall. My latest mock draft had the Niners grabbing Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. But going after Alabama Reuben Foster still isn’t a bad idea, even if his NFL Scouting Combine attitude check looked bad.
Next: 5 Sensible Trades for the 49ers in the NFL Draft
Anyway, go give our friends over at Chat Sports a read, and be sure to follow Tom Downey on Twitter!