Will Mad Martz ruin Frank Gore?
One can question the way that Mike Martz was hired by the 49ers. It's a sign that Mike Nolan's powers really haven't decreased in San Francisco, and that there is a lot of turmoil within the organization.
That doesn't mean it was a bad hire. The 49ers will be interesting again, and Martz should squeeze out a lot more yards from one of the worst passing attacks in history. Here's my take on the Martz effect for the 49ers.
Alex Smith - Gives him a fighting chance. Smith fits a more-aggressive offense like Martz better than the West Coast hybrids he worked in during his rookie and third season. Smith's smarts are supposed to be his biggest strength. Martz could resurrect his career quickly.
Shaun Hill - On the other hand, Hill isn't too far from the Marc Bulger-Kurt Warner-J.T. O'Sullivan-type scrap heap projects that Martz usually likes. There will be a competition for the starting job.
Frank Gore - Evan Silva and I debated this. In the end, I think that more yards, more points, and a better passing game helps Gore. Martz is giving lip service to making The Inconvenient Truth the centerpiece of the offense, but Martz's public statements are worth as much as a Jon Kitna guarantee.
Marshall Faulk had his best years under Martz and had plenty of touches. Kevin Jones, a similar player to Gore (but worse), was having a fine season in 2006 before getting hurt. Gore's carries may go down, but hopefully his catches rise, making him an elite receiving back. And a catch is generally worth two rushes. Gore's talents are too diverse for Martz not to take advantage of. That's my take and I'm sticking to it, no matter how low his ADP drops.
Vernon Davis - Martz has never really used tight ends as receivers. That is worrisome, although he can't exactly ignore one of his best potential playmakers because he doesn't fit the system. Can he?
49ers wideouts - Darrell Jackson has a chance to rebound if he's kept. Ashley Lelie is fast, but I don't trust him to learn the offense. Arnaz Battle fits the Shaun McDonald/Mike Furrey mold and could flourish. Jason Hill's upside rises.
Comments
Greg -
I could not agree with you more. This is HUGE for Gore- who in PPR leagues (as i have always stated, the only way to play)- Gore is a Cemented top 5 pick- and maybe even higher- i would not be shocked if under Martz he ranks only behind LT - this is huge for Gore- HUGE - I believe V Davis will flourish since he is the most talented 49'er Receiving option- the other WR's still will do nothing with the exception of possibly Arnaz Battle, who may catch 85 balls. - Look for san Fran to be on a WR hunt this off season. Ike Bruce? Possibly.
Posted by: scott l. | January 9, 2008 04:55 PM
I agree. I think this helps Gore. I'm a St. Louis resident and a Rams fan. I watched Martz turn Marshall Faulk into a no-brainer #1 overall fantasy pick. Yes, Martz likes to throw, but that alone should open things up for Gore. He had about 260 carries this year, which is comparable to what Faulk used to get under Martz. Give him the same number of carries with an extra safety taken out of the box, add about 10 catches (which is conservative when you look at Faulk's numbers) and you have a top 5 guy. I realize that Gore is not Marshall Faulk. But one of the things that Martz does best is get the most out of his talent. The lack of a quality line worries me some, but I think a change in attitude there could help things.
Posted by: D in StL | January 9, 2008 05:50 PM
Ike Bruce is an interesting call.
Posted by: Gregg | January 9, 2008 08:22 PM
Hiya Greg,
Any chance you're gonna do updated rankings for this weeks games. I've got three FF Playoff teams going and I always like your take on things (even if you're wrong half the time).
Work with me here dude...
Posted by: Tframmy | January 10, 2008 09:17 AM