ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

'The Dude in Brooklyn' writes: Sando, I'm going to take off my "49ers Starter jacket" and address a serious question with your journalist's objectivity: why does the 49ers' defense get no cred?

I'd like to point a finger (I've got a first choice of fingers) at the offense but I'd rather appreciate that SF's D ranked 13th in yards per game and 10th in yards per play in 2008. No defense faced more plays or dealt with more turnovers (35 giveaways, thanks for the memories, Mike Martz!) and ranked higher in total defense. The defense is led by seven players that have or will make a Pro Bowl in their career (Willis, W. Harris, J. Smith, Spikes, Lewis, N. Clements, Haralson), few holes (FS, OLB depth, NT maybe), and solid depth at most positions.

They are the class of the division on defense and likely to crack the top 10 this year. Arizona had an average defense last year that relied on a lot of luck both in terms of injuries and bounces (17 of 20 FF's recovered?!). This year they're older (think Berry, Okeafor, even Wilson) and without Antonio Smith. Seattle had no excuse on defense last year despite plenty of good ones on offense. 30th in total defense is just bad. Why are you so high (7-9 is high for them) on that team rebounding when they have a D like that? St. Louis...enough said.

Mike Sando: The 49ers did have the best defense in the division. They also do not have a starting quarterback. They have changed offensive coordinators again. They have a new head coach. They have not necessarily solved their problems at right tackle, depending on what we should make of Marvel Smith's back. And the pass rush remains unproven.

I need to see more from the 49ers' offense before buying their legitimacy and making an offer on that Starter jacket.

My analysis on the Seahawks -- criticized as too harsh by most of the Seattle fans offering feedback -- balanced the unusually severe injuries they faced last season with questions I still have about the team this season.

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Brett from Kansas City writes: What are the Chiefs going to do with the third over all spot?? KC papers are talking about them trading down so another team can get Sanchez. IS this true if they do trade which teams are interested in trading with Kansas city???s

Mike Sando: I'm not convinced teams will have strong interest in moving into the third spot. We've heard the Redskins might want to move up for a quarterback, but would they really move that high? At what cost? It doesn't make a great deal of sense to me when the draft doesn't seem to feature many no-brainer picks early.

I think the teams at the top of this draft could be stuck there unless they discount the value of those choices while making trades.

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Kevin from Pacific Beach, Calif., writes: With Torry Holt likely signing with the Jaguars and Sanchez likely going in the top 10, the 49ers' chances at WR Michael Crabtree seem a bit more legitimate. What do you think the possibility of the Niners taking the impact receiver?

Mike Sando: The probability would be high if Crabtree were still available at No. 10. I do not think Crabtree will be available at that point. He is arguably one of the three most promising prospects in the draft.

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Jared from parts unknown writes: What do you think of the 49ers taking Aaron Maybin or another DE with the 10th overall pick? What would be the best pick for them in your opinion?

Mike Sando: I think they should remain open to drafting almost any position. They should wait to see if a player falls to them unexpectedly. They should draft that player with less regard for need. This draft is unpredictable enough for the 49ers to have a decent chance at having someone fall to them.

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Kevin from Cambridge, Mass., writes: Hey Mike, I always enjoy reading your blog posts, especially about my pitiful Rams. In regards to your response on agent and a rookie pay scale, well, what are NBA agents for? They still get paid because they affect where the player ends up getting drafted. A good agent will, theoretically, do a better job of promoting you and getting you a higher draft slot, thereby earning his 3%.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Kevin. To refresh, I suggested agents might resist a rookie pay scale because strict salary slotting would diminish the agent's value in negotiations.

I don't think agents can promote players well enough for those players to land in a higher spot. Teams are going to evaluate the players independent of the agent. Now, a good agent can make sure the player is better prepared to handle himself in a manner that appeals to NFL teams, but money is what talks in the agent business.

Agents try to sell potential clients on the deals the agents have negotiated. That is tougher to do when the deals are written in advance.

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Keith from Klamath Falls, Ore., writes: Sando, I have a question about Mark Sanchez. When GM's talkabout getting the best player in the draft when it comes time to pick, does this have Mark Sanchez going to the 49ers in the 10th pick? It seems to me that the draft is fairly short in quality quarterbacks. Is Mark Sanchez the 10th best athlete in the draft or is he the 2nd best quarterback in the draft?

Mike Sando: Sanchez's perception as the second-best quarterback could cause teams to push him up their boards, I think. The Seahawks' general manager, Tim Ruskell, recently said he thought quarterbacks might go 1-2-3 every year if the NFL moved the draft back to June. He was exaggerating to make a point: Teams talk themselves into liking quarterbacks. That said, the 49ers would need to consider Sanchez at No. 10.

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Quinton from Mansfield, Ohio writes: Mike, I know this scenario will not play out, but I've got to ask anyways. Do you see any chance of the Niners trading the 10th pick for Julius Peppers and maybe a 3rd rounder (or more)? Does/would that even make sense for either team?

Mike Sando: Doesn't make a great deal of sense to me because the 49ers would still have to pay huge money to Peppers while hoping he shows more consistency than he did in Carolina over the last couple seasons.

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Bronson from Montana writes: Hey Sando, what's up? Quick schedule question. Are the Williams' suspensions 2 or 3 games, seeing as the niners play the vikes in week 3.

Mike Sando: Good question. Pat Williams and Kevin Williams face potential four-game suspensions. They have a hearing June 15.

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Thor from Boston writes: Hey Sando, As a Seahawks fan, and regular reader of the blog (amazing job, by the way!) I've been reading a lot about the top of the draft, and obviously you've written and discussed a lot. What I'm surprised about, though, is that all this debate about over-priced top picks seems to me to be asking the wrong question.

It's not surprising that the players at the top of
the draft are getting a ton of money -- they're great players, they have leverage because teams only get to draft one player with a pick, and the fact that the teams keep signing them indicates that the teams think they're worth it, at least in expectation. The real question is why players at the bottom of the first, the second, etc, get so little money relative to their talent. Why don't these players seem to have any bargaining power? Thanks, Thor

Mike Sando: The rookie pool does provide some limitations on what teams can spend on their draft choices. It's a case of first come, first served. Also, most drafts tend to have a handful of clearly superior prospects. These prospects get the big money.