49ers keep Winning-Streak Alive by Beating Raiders in Coin Toss

Although the San Francisco 49ers haven't played a single down since their season-finale win over the division rival Rams on New Year's Eve, the Niners have added yet another tally in the win column and are now 6-0 since the start of the Jimmy Garoppolo era after a different kind of victory in Indianapolis on Friday. With the 2018 regular season expected to feature the final installment of the Battle of the Bay between the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, unless of course the two were to miraculously meet in the Super Bowl before the Black Hole packs its bags and departs to its new home in Las Vegas come 2020, the two teams met at the NFL Combine for a tiebreaking coin toss that would determine the draft order for the two Bay Area franchises who fell short of the playoffs and finished tied in 2017 with an overall record of 6-10.

Streamed live as fans of the two teams anxiously awaited for the outcome of the coin flip which was done by Rod Woodson who played for both franchises during his Hall of Fame career, the tandem of Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and newly named head coach Jon Gruden were on hand to represent the silver and black, while Niners GM John Lynch who once upon a time played for coach Gruden's Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers team in 2003, rode solo to represent for his squad. The Niners who have needs at several positions, won the toss and will select 9th overall, one spot ahead of the Raiders at pick No. 10. Most Mock Draft's heading into April's Draft have had the winning team of the coin toss taking either Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds or Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, and the losing team taking whichever player is still available out of the two at No. 10. Unless of course either player is selected earlier or if either team was to trade down or out of their original spot.

Oddly enough, it would mark the second time a coin toss involving these two franchises would take place to determine draft order, as the 49ers once again reigned victorious against the Raiders for the 6th overall pick back in 2006 which the 49ers would use to select Maryland tight-end Vernon Davis. And while San Francisco has a 2-0 advantage over Oakland in all-time draft order coin tosses, it's the Raiders who currently own a 7-6 advantage over their Bay Area counterparts in regular season match-ups. That's something John Lynch and company hope to change by evening the score when the two teams meet as the NFC West squares off against the AFC West this season. But back to the Draft which will commence on April 26, San Francisco will look to fill whatever holes they're unable to address on the free-agent market as the 49ers front-office is expected to be very active and aggressive in luring top free-agent talent with close to $70 Million available in cap space, even after signing QB Jimmy Garoppolo to a new deal.

Though the 49ers would love to have either one of the following three fall players to them at No. 9 -- Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb and Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson, the likelihood of any of those three names still being on the board come San Francisco's pick, is unlikely, assuming they don't trade down. Each player would fill a void in a different area as bringing in Barkley would address the uncertainty of free-agent Carlos Hyde, Chubb would give the Niners the edge-rusher they've so desperately needed since Aldon Smith was cut, and Nelson would help keep their investment in Jimmy G on his feet. Then again the two guys they're projected to take at No. 9 also solve needs as Edmunds eases the burden at linebacker in case the situation regarding Reuben Foster gets worse, stemming form his two arrests last month, and Ward would supply the Niner defense with a shutdown corner they've been in search of for years. But after Lynch won over fans and took Draft night by storm a season ago by trading out of the second overall pick to move one spot back with the Chicago Bears, still getting the guy they wanted all along in Solomon Thomas and then trading back into the first round to select Reuben Foster, I know better than to assume anything with this front-office and John Lynch at the helm.

Hoping one day it'll be an important piece of 49ers history as the team still seeks its sixth Super Bowl title and first since the 1994 season, the coin which was used for the toss will be added to the 49ers Museum at Levi's Stadium.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest