With the loss of Delanie Walker (TE) and Dashon Goldson (FS) we're getting an awful lot of stories about the TEs and Safeties the Niners are looking at right now. This guy is coming in for a visit, or that guy is visiting the facility, and this kid was seen talking with Niner coaches at the combine.

So here's a thought on the Tight End question. Are the Niners really looking for a huge tall Tight End who can catch the ball downfield (Guys like Ertz from Stanford, or Eifert from N.D.) or are they looking to replace Delanie Walker with a guy who can do the sort of things Walker did? A versatile player for a very versatile offense.

Once I started thinking that way I started thinking about LeVeon Bell, the big running back out of Mich. St. that we've been talking about.

I like the idea of adding Bell to the roster as a RB. Of the big backs that are in this year's draft, he's probably my favorite. But he's not all that fast. 4.6 in the 40 at the combine. And the knock on him as a runner is that he's not all that "sudden" at the line. He can take a bit of time building up to speed. He likes to push rather than hit. He likes to dance and leap and spin to avoid contact. (That's not a big knock. Franco Harris wasn't fond of contact and he had a pretty good career.)

But Le'Veon Bell ... as a Tight End ... in our Pistol Offense. It offers up some interesting possibilities for a guy as creative as Greg Roman.

And just to keep people from saying I'm nuts... Delanie Walker was a Wide Receiver all through college. He made the shift to TE once he got here. And for those old enough to remember, in 1980 the Niner's first round draft choice was a Fullback named Earl Cooper out of Rice. Now old Coop was an okay Fullback, but he became a lot more effective once the coaching staff shifted him to Tight End. (He's almost exactly the same size as Bell.)

Bell has shown himself to be a very good blocker through out his college career, and he's been one heck of a receiver out of the backfield as well.

Just a thought.

Last Edited By: Kevin 04/13/13 04:35 PM. Edited 2 times.