49ers land Rivers, Gilbert

by Otis Redding

Blogger, San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco 49ers went into the offseason a beaten down, 3-13 squad. With the offseason now in full swing, the Bay area has some hope for the garnet and gold squad, as the 49ers and coach Bob Winuvas have gone all in to get this team better.

The deals started with one that a lot of people didn't see coming - Colin Kaepernick leaving town not for the unemployment line, but for the sunny area of San Diego. The Chargers agreed to send back veteran quarterback Philip Rivers in exchange. This ends the Chargers' portion of Rivers' career, where he spent 13 seasons guiding the Chargers. He now comes in as a mentor and viable option to guide the offense.

"Philip (Rivers) was someone that fell to us, pleasantly. The Chargers wanted more youth and mobility, and we needed a proven veteran guy to help us mold a young quarterback for our future. Both teams got what they needed, I feel," Coach Winuvas said during the Rivers' introductory press conference.

"I will miss playing in San Diego, but I am happy to still be near the West Coast. I will always call San Diego home, but I will do everything I can to get San Francisco back to where they want to be," Rivers said.

Another key trade, though lower key, was with division rival St. Louis. The Rams agreed to send their 4th round selection and 25-year old quarterback Sean Mannion to the 49ers for the 49ers' 3rd round selection.

Mannion, who is 6'5", 229 out of Oregon State, gives the 49ers a young kid to groom up who has a solid, but not spectacular, arm and solid accuracy on all his throws.

"Sean (Mannion) needs some coaching, but he has a great mentor in Philip Rivers. We will get him up to speed as soon as we can and hopefully he will be another 49er great," Coach Winuvas said. of the trade.

Another small time trade to get more picks was done with the Colts. The 49ers sent their 3rd round selection acquired in the Joe Staley trade last season with St. Louis to the Colts for their 5th, 6th, and 7th round selections in the draft.

The last big trade (for now) was done with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints acquired the #3 overall pick in this upcoming draft for their 1st round selection (21st overall) and cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Gilbert, a 6'0 Oklahoma State product, played as the nickel cornerback last year for New Orleans. He now moves into a potential starting role with the 49ers.

"We're excited about Justin (Gilbert). He gives us good size, speed, and cover skills, and has a knack for making plays from watching the tape. We feel he is a potential star here in San Francisco, and we can't wait to get him out there and let him showcase his skills," Coach Winuvas said.

With plenty of time left in the offseason, does Coach Winuvas have any more tricks up his sleeve to improve the team? Will free agency help any? We will see as the offseason continues to unfold.