COREY HAMMERLE
ROYERSFORD, PA
It seemed as though George Selvie played "out of his mind" the last two weeks of the season. Do you think that was just a result of being clutch, or do you think that those weeks were another step in his growth and he will play like that all the time?
Nick: Either way, I like it. Whether he's just "clutch" or not, that's something this team has lacked. And if he truly is developing into a good player, that's good, too. But I've said all along that having Selvie as the third guy would've been better and I still believe that. He'd be a great rotation guy.
Rowan: I don't think his season was a fluke. He dealt with a lot of injuries and still managed to tack on seven sacks. I think he's finally found a defensive system that fits his best qualities and I imagine he could be at best an adequate starter and at worst an exceptional rotational rusher for years to come.
JIMMY KENNEDY
SANTA CLARA, CA
I know you guys don't like to deal with hypothetical situations, but I wanted to know your opinion on how much different Dallas' defense would look had they stayed at 18 and drafted safety Eric Reid (LSU)? This isn't a slight toward Frederick because he's solid, but I think we could've gotten him in the second round.
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Nick: I don't know why everyone thinks that. Just because a couple of so-called experts talked to one team's source and they had a third-round grade on him. Just look at the player. He started every game in the middle. The running game was better than ever. One website that deals with analytical stats ranked him the best pass-blocker in the NFL among centers. His pass protection was really good. He certainly didn't look like a guy that would be there in 30 more picks. As for Reid, I'm sure he's a good player but I promise you he wouldn't have been as good playing behind this defense. There's no way. Give me Frederick and T. Williams all day over taking Reid at 18.
Rowan: They would have still teetered on the edge of being the worst defense in team history, in my opinion. The yardage probably would have been down some and the interceptions maybe up a couple, but the biggest problem with this defense was the inconsistent pass rush. That makes any player on the back end look poor. Who knows what Reid would have looked like if the 49ers got no rush all year.