San Francisco 49ers Team Report By Any Benoit
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Predicted: 4th
2007 record: 5-11 (3rd
NFC West)
Head Coach: Mike Nolan
(4th season)
*rookie **new veteran
ROSTER QUICK VIEW
Offense
QB: Alex
Smith How many former No. 1 overall picks
end up fighting for their job against guys like Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan?
RB: Frank
Gore Everything you could want in a running back (when he
actually has some blocking in front for him).
FB: Moran
Norris A prototypical fullback: smart,
strong, hard-working and stable.
WR: Isaac
Bruce** Brought in to share his wisdom of
Mike Martz’s offense.
WR: Bryant
Johnson** Better than any WR they had last
season, but why is his $2 million contract only for one year?
TE:
inept offense is like watching sand fall in an hour glass.
LT: Joe
Staley Became the first Niner rookie
O-lineman to start all 16 games. He’s now moving over from RT to his more
natural position.
LG: Adam
Snyder Slow feet make him a liability at OT,
which is why they’re inserting him at G.
C: Eric
Heitmann Consummate plug-in guy who can play G
or C and at least keep the middle of your O-line afloat.
RG: David
Baas Has never lived up to expectations; chance at starting
was jeopardized in April when he tore his right pectoral tendon.
RT: Jonas
Jennings Has missed 32 games over his three
years in the Bay Area. It’ll be a surprise if he’s still starting come New Years.
---------------
QB: Shaun
Hill Teammates seem to prefer him over Alex Smith, but keep
in mind, he’s only played in 2 ½ games.
RB:
DeShaun Foster** Tenacious runner but very average
overall. Will spell Gore for four or five carries a game.
WR: Ashley
Lelie Do you think his ego is still
inflated after catching only 10 passes last season?
WR: Arnaz
Battle There’s a lot to like about the
former Notre Dame QB; he’s an excellent fit at slot receiver.
TE: Billy
Bajema Might be too lanky for a blocking TE,
but the only other option here is H-back Delanie Walker.
Defense
DE: Isaac
Sopoaga Finally started to make relevant
plays on a consistent basis last year. Niners gave him a four-year, $20 million
contract to stay.
NT:
Aubrayo Franklin This 3-4 defense won’t fully flourish
until he’s in a more fitting backup role.
DE: Justin
Smith** You’re about to see what 20 million
wasted dollars looks like. Good player, but not to the right fit for this
scheme.
LOLB:
Manny Lawson Intriguing athlete who has a chance
to be a unique force for many years. Must first bounce back from torn ACL.
LILB:
Brandon Moore Talented enough to start, but for
some reason, the Niners are always trying to replace him.
RILB:
Patrick Willis Reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the
Year, might already be the best LB in football.
ROLB:
Tully Banta-Cain Game lacks spice. If he were any
blander, he’d be a rice cake.
CB: Nate
Clements Has $22 million in guarantees to live
up to; passing but not nailing the test so far.
SS: Michael
Lewis A huge part of both the run and pass
defense. Much closer to ’04 Pro Bowl form than people realize.
FS: Mark
Roman Lacks awareness. Lacks consistency.
Lacks flair. How does this man keep finding starting jobs?
CB: Walt
Harris Allergic to tackling but loves the art of
man coverage. Would be most effective defending the slot.
---------------
DL:
Kentwan Balmer* First-round pick who can play
anywhere up front. Niners are relying heavily on his development.
LB:
Dontarrious Thomas** Solid coverage skills make him a
likely contributor in nickel defense.
NB:
Shawntae Spencer Good enough to start but must stop
finding comfort from the enlarged cushion he allows in coverage.
Key Acquisitions
WR Isaac Bruce (Stl)
RB DeShaun Foster (Car)
WR Bryant Johnson (Ari)
QB J.T. O’Sullivan (Det)
KR Allen Rossum (Pit)
DE Justin Smith (Cin)
LB Dontarrious Thomas (Min)
Key Losses
G Larry Allen (retired)
QB Trent Dilfer (retired)
DE Marques Douglas (TB)
WR Bryan Gilmore
OT Kwame Harris (Oak)
RB Maurice Hicks (Min)
WR Darrell Jackson (Den)
G Justin Smiley
(Mia)
LB Derek Smith (SD)
DT Bryant Young (retired)
For the second year in a row, the 49ers went on a free agent
shopping spree (and they’ll have somewhere around $20 million in cap space again
next season). Deep pockets or not, guaranteeing $20 million to Smith was
unwise. He is the quintessential 4-3
three-man front. Johnson and Bruce are both upgrades over Gilmore and Jackson
at WR.
with him for over a year and couldn’t stop pitching lowballs. Harris never
panned out. Allen and Young were both old, but they were also the team’s best
lineman on their respective side of the ball. Young deserves Hall of Fame
consideration.
2008 -
Francisco
Draft
Rd Sel # Player Position School
1 29 Kentwan Balmer
2 39 Chilo Rachal G USC
3 75 Reggie Smith DB
4 107 Cody Wallace C
6 174 Josh Morgan WR
7 214 Larry Grant OLB
Wherever they play Balmer––DE or
classic clogger. They drafted Rachal to be a G but quickly converted him to RT.
This will stunt his rookie season growth, but he’ll probably still be called on
to start at some point in ’08. Smith is a utility weapon in the secondary,
while Wallace is a player that Nolan and his staff coached in the Senior Bowl.
Morgan is a project and Grant is a special teams hopeful.
2008
If the
major shareholders would be calling for the CEO’s removal. Few could have
imagined the amount of talent this team would waste last season. A year ago,
the Niners completely emerged out of what fans were referring to as Salary Cap
Hell. A decade spent suffering the consequences of the Carmen Policy, Eddie
DeBartalo-created financial turmoil had rattled the once proud Football Empire
of the West. But with their accounting problems gone and the NFL’s escalated
salary cap in place, John York’s
organization turned over a new leaf. The 49ers liquidated their $30 million in
capital (i.e. cap space) and put it in the hands of Scott McCloughan, instructing the third-year GM to go out and
purchase a winning team.
Having just gone an admirable 7-9
under second-year head coach Mike Nolan,
day traders and investors took notice of what the Bay Area franchise was doing.
With young quarterback Alex Smith
and newfound star Frank Gore already
in place, the Niners’ stock soared after McCloughan orchestrated deals that
brought in free agents like cornerback Nate
Clements, safety Michael Lewis,
linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and wide
receiver Ashley Lelie. Adding a pair
of first-round rookies––linebacker Patrick Willis
and offensive tackle Joe Staley––only
fanned the fire.
The executives at
four prime time games for the upstart club (one was later revoked). Preseason
publications were forecasting a division title, and talking heads were, as
usual, playing on the public’s emotions and augmenting the hype.
The 49ers were football’s hottest
stock. Problem was, their beta was miles above one. When fall came and injuries
and chemistry issues set in, so did the losing. None of it went away, and the
team wound up finishing 5-11.
Today, optimism for the Niners feels
a lot like $2.50 gas prices: recent yet seemingly long ago. And nowhere near
returning.
new bull market mentality; most of the free agents from last year’s $40 million
class have earned their paychecks. And the team’s aggressive spending has not
come on high-interest credit. Despite awarding more than $20 million in
guarantees to defensive end Justin Smith,
wide receivers Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce, and running back DeShaun Foster this past offseason, the
Niners will still have around $20 million in cap space next year. And these
short-term investments are not compromising the integrity of their organic
growth, either.
years, including three in the first round. Heading into training camp, all 14
are on the roster. Overall, McCloughan and company are doing a fine job.
This is what makes the
organization’s failures so concerning. Creating success is a tricky concept in
the NFL. A big part of it is simply managing your weaknesses. In pro football,
a team like the ’06 Colts can set records for futility in run defense yet still
win a Super Bowl. Or, a team like the ’07 Giants can be amongst the league
leaders in interceptions and dropped passes and still finish on top. Control
your weakness and exploit your opponent’s––that’s the name of the game.
There’s just one stipulation: your
weakness can’t be at quarterback, offensive line or in the coaching staff.
These three pillars are the food, water and shelter of pro football. If one of
them breaks, your whole foundation falls. Right now, all three are broken in
The situation is almost bad enough
to make finger-pointing inappropriate. Pillar
One: Quarterback Alex Smith was
the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005. Through his first three seasons he has a
record of 6-12 as a starter, and a passer rating of 63.5. He now heads into
training camp in a three-way quarterback competition with Shaun Hill and J.T.
O’Sullivan.
Pillar Two:
Not too long ago the offensive line looked like the cornerstone of the
franchise. There was former first-round pick Kwame Harris, second-rounders David Baas and Justin Smiley, big-money
free agent Jonas Jennings and future
Hall of Famer Larry Allen. Last year, another first-rounder, Joe Staley, was thrown into the mix. As
it’s turned out, Harris never stopped underachieving and was allowed to leave.
Baas still hasn’t achieved period. Smiley developed into a fine starter only to
join the Dolphins this year. The oft-injured
field. And Allen, coming off his 11th Pro Bowl, unceremoniously
retired during the offseason. This leaves Staley, who will move from right
tackle to left tackle, and a quartet of either unproven or ungifted big men, to
occupy the trenches.
The quarterbacking and offensive
line issues are directly tied to Pillar
Three: The shaky coaching situation. Mike
Martz is the fourth different offensive coordinator that Alex Smith has had in his four-year
career. So far, only Norv Turner has clicked with the passer.
Additionally, Smith’s relationship with head coach Mike Nolan is iffy at best. Last year,
Nolan publicly questioned the impact that Smith’s shoulder injury had on his
poor play. The quarterback accusingly riposted that Nolan was undermining him
in the locker room. Nolan has acknowledged that Smith is his most talented
quarterback; it would take a great deal of naivety to think that the two men’s
acerbic rapport hasn’t factored into the coach’s decision to open up a
competition for the starting job.
As for Pillar Three’s relation to
the front five, offensive line coach George
Warhop did a poor job instructing his unit in ’07. Nolan tacitly
acknowledged this when he hired Chris
Foerster to come in and be the pass-blocking coach (Warhop stayed on as the
run-blocking director). Foerster had better straighten things out; the
coordinator he’s working for is the capricious Martz, who blamed his failures
in
It’s easy to see why the market
would reject the 49er franchise. Unless egos are put aside and potential
recognized, heads will start rolling by the Bay.
Offense
It’s highly unlikely that Alex Smith won’t be the starting
quarterback when the 49ers host the Cardinals on September 7. Erratic as Smith
is, he’s still a smart guy blessed with the talent of a former No. 1 overall
pick. And, as impressive as Shaun Hill
looked in limited action last season, there’s still a reason it took six years
for him to even see such action. Smith will start, Hill will back him up, and J.T. O’Sullivan will do exactly what
the Niners brought him in to do: hold the clipboard.
O’Sullivan is the only player with
prior experience in Mike Martz’s
offense, having spent last season in
soon learn, Martz’s Byzantine passing attack is utterly dependent on protection
from the front five. Herein lies the problem (a few problems, actually). First,
the 49ers are simply not a good pass-blocking team. They gave up the most sacks
in football last year (55), which is why they gained the fewest yards and first
downs, finished last in passing and third down offense, and averaged a
league-low 13.7 points per game (and all this was with Larry Allen and Justin Smiley).
Heading into this season,
second-year pro Joe Staley is
that he can handle the substantial responsibilities of an NFL left tackle. Lining
up next to Staley will be Adam Snyder,
a fifth-year pro who was drafted to play tackle but instead developed into a
utility lineman (which usually means bad tackle but so-so guard). Snyder can
mix it up inside, but his 6’6” height and questionable lower-body strength make
his job difficult. It doesn’t help that center Eric Heitmann, while intelligent and hard working, routinely has
his hands full just with his own assignments, and can’t be counted on to pick
up much slack.
The right side of the line is a
bigger problem. McCloughan views rookie Chilo
Rachal as a poor man’s Larry Allen, which is why he drafted the USC product
early in the second round. Rachal (6’4”, 315) played guard for the Trojans
though the 49ers sporadically moved him to right tackle early in spring. This
verifies their understandable concern about veteran Jonas Jennings.
find himself out of the lineup at some point this season.
It would make all the sense in the
world to allow Rachal to ease into the pro game as a guard now that projected
right side starter David Baas will
be a step behind as he recovers from a weight-lifting induced torn right
pectoral muscle suffered back in late April. If Baas is unable to go, the
Niners will either start fourth-round rookie Cody Wallace at center and move Heitmann back to his original guard
position, or they’ll refer to their usual hole-plugger, Tony Wragge. Veterans acquisitions Qasim Mitchell and Jeb Terry
were once starters on other teams, many, many lifetimes ago. Today, neither has
any business running with the first unit.
Should the Niners encounter issues
with their pass-blocking––and there’s not a reasonable person who doesn’t think
they will––they’ll once again see Alex
Smith struggle. A product of Urban Meyer’s shotgun offense at
defenders in his face. His rocket arm requires a comfortable launching pad.
Heavy pressure last season resulted in a completion percentage of 48.7. Smith’s
yards per attempt was a paltry 4.7 (the league mean was 7.0).
restock its receiving corps. With last year’s starters struggling so mightily
at getting open, the Niners opted to sign reliable route runners Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce. Johnson was solid but never lived up to his
first-round billing in
Anquan Boldin lessened his role). His speed will be a plus. Bruce is
Canton-bound and, at 35, determined to prove that he can still play. He can,
but he won’t post good numbers in this “developing” offense.
Coming off the bench will be
underappreciated Arnaz Battle and
underachieving Ashley Lelie.
Second-year wideout Jason Hill was a
third-round pick last season and should be pushing for playing time, but thus
far, he’s made very little noise since leaving
Of greater concern is the role of
third-year tight end Vernon Davis.
The former sixth-overall pick is a raging athlete who has the skills to be an
elite player. However, Martz’s offense has never emphasized the tight end,
which is why it’s hard to see
from a year ago. But if all actually goes to plan, 70-80 receptions are possible.
The Niners intend to flex
him in motion. However, they’re hesitant to have him deviate too much from his
traditional tight end functions because they value his output as a run-blocker
(which, by the way, is still improving).
Run-blocking may not matter, though,
as Martz’s stubbornness has always been demonstrated through his circumvention
of the ground game. When the passing game isn’t clicking, Martz tries to throw
his way out of it. When things get worse, he throws harder. It’s a shame
because his best player is Frank Gore,
the hearty fourth-year pro who has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Martz has indicated that he’ll use Gore much like he used Marshall Faulk. Novel
concept, but Gore is not Faulk. Gore is a purebred workhorse who pounds
defenses between the tackles. True, he has led the 49ers in receptions each of
the past two seasons, but that speaks more to the offense’s ineptitude than his
versatility. Gore catches dump-off passes, but he’s not someone you want to
split wide. And neither are big-bodied backups DeShaun Foster or Michael
Robinson. All of
they’re grinding behind fullback Moran
Norris. It’s not certain if Martz has even heard of the fullback position.
Defense
Right inside linebacker Patrick Willis might be a
once-in-a-generation talent. At the very least, he’s the coigne of Mike Nolan’s
3-4 defense. Willis––who benefits from the tutelage of venerable defensive
assistant Mike Singletary, a Hall of
Fame linebacker himself––led the league with 174 tackles as a rookie last
season. He is a terrorizing blitzer, evidenced by his four sacks and 6.5
tackles for a loss. His coverage skills have plenty of room for growth, though
he is a part of both the nickel and dime packages (Willis was just one of 18
players in the league to partake in every one of his unit’s snaps last season).
The 49ers spent all offseason
looking for an adequate running mate for Willis inside. They visited with
veteran free agents Takeo Spikes and Jeremiah Trotter but ultimately decided to
stick with their home grown product, Brandon
Moore.
as a pass-rusher off the edge. He has the necessary tools to succeed in
interior run defense. However, the coaching staff has never thrown its full
support behind
veteran Jeff Ulbrich, or steady but
ho-hum ex-Viking Dontarrious Thomas,
will get a look.
The key to any good 3-4 is having a
formidable pass rush. The Niners fall short in this sense, though that could
potentially change. It was a mistake to sign and start Tully Banta-Cain––there are calendars that are harder to figure out
than him. Banta-Cain’s unimaginative pass-rushing repertoire makes supple
third-year pro Parys Haralson all
the more intriguing. The athletic former fifth-round pick does not necessarily
have superstar potential, but if he continues to develop his strength and
aggressiveness, he’ll be a very good starter for many years.
In a lot of ways, Haralson is like a
Chinese-made version of Manny Lawson
(another third-year-pro). The 6’5”, 247-pound Lawson has rare fluidity and is
too unique to limit to only pass-rushing assignments. His versatility makes him
capable of being a star just about anywhere on the field. However, he must first
bounce back from a torn ACL that ended his season last September. Two other
linebackers to consider but not anticipate are Jay Moore, a second-year pro with pass-rushing potential, and Roderick Green, a former Raven who
possesses good explosiveness off the corner.
The Niners have the makings of a
viable linebacking core; they must hope that the front line can progress as
expected. Longtime
to occupy the right defensive end slot. Smith, a classic 4-3 end who they’ll
likely move around, is not an ideal fit for base end duties in this system. He
is, however, still an enormous upgrade over the now-departed Marques Douglas. Isaac Sopoaga had his best season last year, which may or may not
have had something to do with his looming free agency.
years to stay, and then moved him from reserve defensive tackle to starting
defensive end. Sopoaga has excellent strength and should thrive as an anchor on
the outside.
Everything about nose tackle Aubrayo
Franklin screams backup, which is why McCloughan drafted
weighing 308 pounds, a number he’ll need to increase in order to handle the
rigors of the NFL. Don’t’ be surprised if he struggles early on.
Ray McDonald
showed okay athleticism as a third-round rookie last season, but he’s nowhere
near physical enough to play on a three-man front. If he doesn’t gambol less
and grind more, either Melvin Oliver,
Ron Fields or Atiyyah Ellison will capture his role.
The 49ers have so far seen a nice
return on their investments in cornerback Nate
Clements and strong safety Michael
Lewis. Clements is not quite a shutdown corner, but he’s a playmaker who
requires very little help in coverage. Lewis is a cog in the run defense,
thanks mainly to a sturdy 226-pound frame that gives him good power at the
point of attack.
Free safety Mark Roman can be a liability in coverage, which is why you may see
utility defensive back Donald Strickland
or third-round rookie Reggie Smith
crack the starting lineup at some point. Strickland is more of a special teams
player (there’s actually a cap-friendly incentive in his contract that pays him
a $7 million bonus if he blocks 15 punts this season). Smith was drafted as a
cornerback, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to surpass man-to-man guru Walt Harris or agile Shawntae Spencer on the depth chart.
Special Teams
Having a prolific punter can be
bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s a constant reminder of how shamefully porous
your offense is. On the other, it’s better than having a non-prolific punter.
Insert Andy Lee. One of two Pro
Bowlers on the team last year (Patrick
Willis was the other), Lee averaged a staggering 41.0 net yards per punt,
second best in NFL history. Oddly enough, the best net punting average all-time
was established last year by the guy across the Bay (Shane Lechler, 41.1). Lee
did, however, set the NFL record for punts inside the 20, with 55.
Kicker Joe Nedney was 17/19 on field goals last season and made all of his
attempts inside 50 yards. When he’s healthy, he’s dependable. Allen Rossum, a veteran return
specialist, was brought in to handle kick and punt return duties.
Bottom Line
There are encouraging patches of
talent on this roster. In fact, there could be as many as 10 former first-round
picks in the starting lineup in ’08. The problem is, the most expensive one of
those former first-rounders is not playing up to snuff. If quarterback Alex
Smith struggles, the chemistry issues that are boiling beneath the surface of
the locker room could erupt. Considering how questionable the coaching staff
is, and how poor a fit Mike Martz’s scheme is for this offense at the moment,
disaster seems imminent.
Myth Buster
Myth: Michael Lewis is
a sub-par safety
Lewis is once again playing at the
level that sent him to the Pro Bowl as an Eagle in 2004. His physicality in run
defense has been a blessing to this team. Last season, Lewis finished second to
Patrick Willis in tackles with 105. He is a noticeable presence in the box and
a demon when left unblocked.
In coverage is where Lewis’s
struggles began in Philly. Now, confidence no longer shaken, he has gained a
commendable understanding of his assignments in Greg Manusky’s defense, making
consistent reads and plays on the ball. Lewis does not have flashy speed, which
is why he’ll never be a game-breaker. But at 226 pounds, he makes up for it by
packing a punch.
Open Thought
It is impossible to watch a 49ers
home game and not get distracted by the empty seats cornered back around the
20-yard-line. Surrounded by a red sea of fans, the bright orange seats serve as
a reminder that
originally built with both the Niners and baseball’s Giants in mind. The Giants
have since moved to their own new stadium along the shores of the
bickering with local politicians for more than a decade about getting a new
home. In the meantime, television viewers will keep glancing at the bright
orange seats, noting the three or four people who always seem to be standing
amongst them, wondering why those people are standing there and if they know
how easy they are to spot on TV.
posted by The True GURU at
1:13 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home