Bay Area Sports Guy – Bow down to Baalke: 49ers add Brandon Jacobs

For fans of the San Francisco 49ers, this off-season has been like Groundhog Day — the very best possible version of Groundhog Day. It seems like every time the alarm pipes up and starts screaming from the bedside table, the 49ers announce another move that makes the team incrementally stronger. The latest? Trent Baalke signed running back Brandon Jacobs.

Here’s what I wrote after the Niners signed Ted Ginn last week:

As the days go on, the 49ers keep putting check marks next to positions they’d otherwise need to fill in the draft.

The beat goes on…

– A better goal line back than they had before? Check … 4 of his 8 rushing touchdowns last year — including the playoffs — were of the 1-yard variety.

– The yin to Kendall Hunter’s change-of-pace yang? Check … Gore’s starting job isn’t threatened, and Jacobs gives the 49ers two alternate backs on different sides of the weight/power spectrum.

– Personality, swagger and quotes for days? Check … The team certainly isn’t afraid to spice things up in the locker room in 2012, adding guys like Jacobs and Randy Moss. Makes sense, now that the 49ers are among the hunted instead of the hunters, a little extra dose of confidence can’t hurt and might even prove necessary.

Another thing the 49ers have done is picked up two discarded members of the New York Giants who thought they deserved bigger roles. Just like the Mario Manningham addition, Jacobs comes to San Francisco at a reasonable price — a maximum of over $2 million if he reaches every incentive. As a result, the 2012 game between the two teams will be even more spirited than the average NFC Championship Game rematch — no extra Manning required! Perhaps the 49ers can mine some inside info from Manningham and Jacobs to get the Giants back for targeting Kyle Williams’ bruised brain. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Does this mean the 49ers are done adding running backs? Hard to say, although it would probably behoove them to consider drafting a guy on the second or third day as a potential Gore replacement if they see someone they like.

Who do I like? Not that it matters to Baalke, but I’m a huge Chris Polk fan after watching several Washington Huskies games over the years. Polk’s a tough, downhill runner with a secondary burst once he gets through the hole. Polk had a disappointing Senior Bowl, but he dropped about 15 pounds since then and ran a 4.47 at UW’s Pro Day on March 8, so he may go a little higher than the 49ers would want to pick him. With the 49ers signing Jacobs, expecting the team to draft another RB in the second round seems unrealistic.

As for Anthony Dixon, he’s taking the news about as well as could be expected:

9 comments

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Gooselosgatos

Players from big market/high media exposure teams are often overrated in the public consciousness.

John Sports

Jacobs a Star Running Back for the NINERS? NAAAHHH!!! A really good addition? You bet.

The Hangman

Hopefully they didn't spend much on him. While he did have 7 TDs last year, he only had 500+ yards rushing and a paltry 3.8 YPC avg. This is not the Brandon Jacobs of old. And as great as Gore has been he is also well past his prime. It would've been nice to see the Niners go after someone like Michael Bush. Hopefully drafting a quality RB is high on the Niners priority list.

I heard it is a very minimal risk, If he reaches all his Incentives it come to around Two Million, Bush would have been a nice pick up but I believe his is asking price was much Higher than Jacob's. Gore and Jacobs is a pretty good One Two Punch, with Hunter coming in to change the pace.

Otis Byrd III

I think this is a great move! Even though I thought the 49ers were set at RB with Gore, Hunter, and Dixon, adding Jacobs to the mix will for sure strengthen the position, as well as it taking pressure off of Gore to handle most of the carries. This is also a good move just in case Gore gets injured or is hobbled, Jacobs can come in and handle the starting RB duties. There wouldn't be as much pressure on Hunter to handle the starting RB duties, if Gore was to miss time. But yes, another great move by the 49ers this offseason! The 49ers are stacked at RB now with Gore, Jacobs, Hunter, and Dixon.

devnull

I have the impression the Niners aren't that high on Dixon. I'm not sure why that might be, it just seems like they're not really interested in using him much.

Stan

Its just the brilliance of Harbaugh to see a need..then with common sense, fill it. Why the Warriors for decades couldn't follow the simple instructions? Billy Beane,lost his common sense over a decade ago,AL Davis/Raiders two decades ago. I bet when Harbaugh and Sabean talk..they get along fine..like compadres.

Backdrop

Sabean? You're joking, right? There's a huge difference between a smart hard ass and a wannabe smart hard ass. Sabes falls solidly in the latter camp. A goatee on a fat guy doesn't intimidate anyone. I really don't think JH is capable of gaffes on the level of Zeets, Rowand, DeRosa, Tejada etc. Football works a little differently - more internal checks and balances and different salary structures - but can you see the 49ers under JH ever paying more than half their payroll to a handful of complete washouts? I can't. JH may laugh at Sabes for his failures and for how the LAD are going to steal all his valuable FAs for the next 20 years, but besides that I think he'd have very little to say to him.

Trent Baalke is on a roll that has not been seen around here in along time, I can't believe how suspicious I was of him when he was first hired. I think Jacobs is the perfect fit at this time for the NINERS...give him the ball at the Goal line...Give Frank a break from time to time during the season and keep his legs fresh for the Play-Offs...Put them both in the backfield on a few plays during the Game and make the other Team think...Could the NINERS trade Dixon and get a low round pick for him?