text: 49ers troll Seahawks, take Chris Harper September 2, 2013 / Rob Staton SF added WR help by way of Seattle. 49ers signed WR Chris Harper off Seattle's practice squad, per league source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2013 Front Page News Previous post Carroll & Schneider challenge NFL’s ego-driven mentality Next post College football week 1 observations 43 Comments James September 2, 2013 at 7:25 am I can say with complete confidence that Chris Harper, however much potential he has (or does not have) for the future, will not be getting open against our DBs this season. He tried and failed all training camp. Plus, the SF game plan is not installed, so he will be of little help revealing that. The 49’ers will learn more from the Carolina game tape than they will from Harper. The takeaway is that this is a sign of how desperate the SF WR situation is. kevin mullen September 2, 2013 at 7:43 am Couldn’t agree more, and we all know how much success SF has with developing WR talent. Chris September 2, 2013 at 7:53 am Not sure if this is a done deal yet: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/108073/on-49ers-move-to-add-ex-seahawk-harper Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 8:06 am I suspect it’s more of a, “so, tell us what their playbook looks like” kind of deal. CC September 2, 2013 at 8:09 am Then GB does the same thing with Tolzien and Wallace. Rob, how much intel can you really get by doing that? Maybe with the QBs you get a bit more, but does it really help? Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 8:36 am A gameplan is unique and worked on the week of the game. I doubt you can get too much out of it. At best some info on what options you get with all the different formations and looks. CC September 2, 2013 at 8:37 am Thanks! Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 8:35 am Danny O’Neil has confirmed Harper is now part of San Fran’s 53 man roster. AlaskaHawk September 2, 2013 at 8:59 am You can’t teach a receiver at this level to catch the ball. They either got the hands and ability or not. Davison Phipps September 2, 2013 at 12:05 pm If Jermaine Kearse has improved as much as it appears, he’d seem to be a challenge to your statement. mister bunny September 2, 2013 at 2:43 pm LASIK baby! glor September 2, 2013 at 9:08 am Let me remind you, Golden Tate couldn’t get on the field because he couldn’t run a route his 1st year and a half. As Rob has repeatedly stated, it sometimes takes some time for a rookie to adjust. Catching the ball does require concentration, Harper could still very well turn into a stud. It’s wait and see now. AlaskaHawk September 2, 2013 at 10:00 am Sure Harper could succeed. As can a UDFA like Baldwin. However if they can’t catch the ball at a high percentage- they won’t succeed. Let’s just call it a draft gamble that didn’t work. Considering he is a two year receiver it isn’t even surprising. As for San Fran, the chance of Harper sticking there are low- too much talent on their team. Bottom line, we have plenty of other receivers to develop. What ever happened with Swope? with his history of concussions is he still trying to play? Colin September 2, 2013 at 10:04 am Swope has retired due to concussions. glor September 2, 2013 at 10:32 am wow Michael September 2, 2013 at 2:02 pm I think the Tate comparison is a poor one, as he is on a different level athletically than Harper. I see your point as far as development time goes, but once both are “fully developed” I think Tate is head and shoulders above Harper based on his superior physical ability. I guess my point is that if Harper had Tate’s upside, he would not have been cut. CHawk Talker Eric September 2, 2013 at 9:51 am SF could have claimed Harper off waivers yesterday, but instead they chose to wait until SEA used a PS spot on him before signing him today. Not sure if this really affects whether SEA would’ve used that PS spot on another player, especially since there were 2 spots still left open before SF poached him. But nonetheless it’s kind of an a-hole move. Shrewd but a-hole-ish. Chris September 2, 2013 at 9:55 am Now the real question is, who will we pluck from their practice squad! Belgaron September 2, 2013 at 10:02 am I was expecting them to claim him on waivers. They must get a better deal by letting his 4th round contract go away and then signing him off the PS. Their lack of quality receivers is a large hole that many teams will be taking advantage of this season, especially the ‘Hawks. Watch for them to try to float him to their own PS later this season, when some of their injured guys return. Lewis September 2, 2013 at 12:02 pm Possible he wasn’t their first option. They might have wanted someone else that was claimed by a different team. CHawk Talker Eric September 2, 2013 at 7:28 pm It is possible that Harper wasn’t their first option, but that wouldn’t be the reason they didn’t claim him off waivers. The waiver wire is kind of like the draft – a pool of players that have been waived and are available to be “claimed” by other teams in the inverse order of winning percentage from the previous season. So this year, either KC or JAX has first dibs, then the other, and so on until SF gets their turn somewhere towards the bottom of the list. If SF wanted another WR before Harper, they would’ve known that player wasn’t available when their turn came up, and so you’d think they would just claim Harper at that time. I’m wondering if they were waiting to see if SEA signed Harper to its PS, which they might interpret as SEA liking Harper enough to keep him on the team. If SEA hadn’t signed Harper to the PS, I wonder if SF still would have been interested enough to sign him. Colin September 2, 2013 at 7:35 pm My hunch is with all this talk of SF converting him to a FB/ H back type, they are just hiding their true intentions- they don’t like their current WR core and are scavaging for options. Michael September 2, 2013 at 2:21 pm How long does he have to stay on their 53-man? I know you can’t sign a guy from someone else’s practice squad straight to your own, but you would think that eventually he could go back there if need be. Anyone know the exact workings of this? CHawk Talker Eric September 2, 2013 at 7:12 pm He must be on the 49ers 53 for 3 weeks before he can go to their practice squad, or if he doesn’t make it 3 weeks, then they have to release him. glor September 2, 2013 at 10:33 am They have a much better chance of getting him onto their PS by having paid him some regular season game checks. After all, it is his decision as to what PS he selects once he clears waivers right? Michael September 2, 2013 at 2:21 pm I don’t think that’s how it works. Cameron September 2, 2013 at 11:47 am 50 bucks says Chris Harper will be back on our PS by the end of the season. Won’t be any room when Manningham and Crabs come back. Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 2:09 pm I think maybe that ship has sailed if, as reported, the Seahawks tried to keep him around and he chose to sign for the Niners. Michael September 2, 2013 at 2:27 pm If my very limited understanding of player compensation is accurate, He would be foolish not to sign with any team willing to give him a spot on their 53-man roster since that would effectively quadruple his weekly earnings. Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 2:44 pm True, but I’m not sure what Seattle’s discussion was with the player. I mean, usually there’s not even a discussion. Cameron September 2, 2013 at 3:25 pm But if San Fran releases him several weeks, do we not have first dibs to sign him to our PS, or would we also have to sign him to the 53 man roster? Rob Staton (Post author) September 2, 2013 at 3:28 pm If he’s released he has to clear waivers. CHawk Talker Eric September 2, 2013 at 7:40 pm Although there’s a minimum weekly for PS players, there is no rule that a team cannot pay a PS player more. If SEA tried to keep Harper on the PS, they probably offered him more than the minimum to stay. Even so, whatever they may have offered him to stay on SEA’s PS, it still wouldn’t be as much as League minimum for a rookie on active roster. Bruce M. September 2, 2013 at 12:57 pm Meanwhile, in related news, Parker made the PS! This squad is exactly who I would have picked, given our 53. I am a genius!!! 🙂 http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/Seahawks-re-sign-eight-players-to-practice-squad/fad58b7a-8d7d-46e2-8a44-2462285f36e9 John_s September 2, 2013 at 3:07 pm Ron Parker? He was claimed by the chiefs. Bruce M. September 2, 2013 at 5:29 pm So much for genius. I meant Brooks, the DT. He was a favorite of mine, when I could remember his name…. James September 2, 2013 at 1:28 pm Parker? I’m not smart enough to figure that one out. SunPathPaul September 2, 2013 at 2:42 pm WOW! The 9er’s are so bad at drafting WR’s that they have to use us to do it for them! hah I feel they are not going to be as good as last year…everyone assumes they will. I don’t see it… Goldson gone, Crabtree out- and Kaperdick isn’t a touch passer… They will struggle more than expected. Win? Sure they can win some games, but dominate? NO SunPathPaul September 2, 2013 at 2:44 pm If St. Louis hadn’t botched one FG to end with a tie, we would have tied their record LAST year! Just saying… And last time we played them was a 42-13 beat down! I know it was at the Clink and we had a special night, but we R a Special team! Turp September 2, 2013 at 2:59 pm Brooks made the PS, hooray! James September 2, 2013 at 3:43 pm The late word out of SF that Chris Harper will be tried at H-back is interesting, and seems further indication that he is the classic tweener. Not enough speed to play WR, and certainly not big enough to play TE. PCJS rolled the dice and thought he might be another Boldin who could fight off DBs for the ball, but that takes a rare amount of savvy. Harper’s body type, if anything, is probably best for FB, a’la Mike Robinson, but a vanishing breed if there ever was one. John_s September 2, 2013 at 4:48 pm Sounds like he’ll be tried out in the mold of Delanie Walker. Same measurables. Walker was also a converted WR turned H-back. CHawk Talker Eric September 2, 2013 at 7:45 pm Good call John. From what I remember, SF wasn’t happy about losing Walker in FA. I can easily see them giving Harper a try as a replacement.