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Diamonds in the Rough: 49ers Who Could Yield Unexpected Results in 2009
Published: May 8, 2009
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In the world of sports, random and unexpected performances can often be the catalyst a team needs in order to reap unexpected success and rewards.
Such occurrences are essential to teams looking for improved results, but with uncertain means, and the San Francisco 49ers are no exception.
A return to dominance in the NFC West is going to rely on more than the customary performances from their few bonafide stars; likewise, immediate contributions from some highly touted newcomers alone won’t be enough to catapult this team out of their six-year playoff drought.
Recent history shows that the elite teams in the NFL rise to the top through (among other things) solid coaching, a talented roster, and unforeseen heroics from players they never intended to count on.
One needs to look no further than the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the traditionally blue-collar juggernaut that has smashed its way to a record six Super Bowl titles the old fashioned way: by running through and over opponents.
While their Super Bowl victory in 2006 was in large part a showcase for Jerome Bettis and his quest to win a title before retiring, the man who stole the show in the actual game and has been the driving force behind Pittsburgh’s offense the last three seasons is Willie Parker.
Undrafted out of North Carolina, where he was never the featured back, Parker likely had slim-to-no expectations when he first caught on with the Steelers. But his speed and game-breaking ability launched him to the top of the depth chart, as well as a few Pro Bowls.
Some of the more popular examples of players coming out of nowhere to perform above and beyond expectations include quarterbacks Tom Brady and Kurt Warner, whose stories need no explanation.
While the 49ers likely don’t have some hidden gem on their roster that can shake up a team the way Warner, Brady and Parker have, chances are there’s a guy or two on the roster right now who has either been overlooked, undervalued, or simply has something to prove.
If several of these players can exceed what’s expected of them this season, the 49ers might be in a position to steal some games that right now on paper don’t seem winnable.
One such player is Jimmy Williams.
The former Virginia Tech All-American, who was second-round pick for Atlanta in 2006, spent 2008 out of football, his reward for a drug-possession arrest during the 2007 offseason.
Williams was suspended for five games by commisioner Roger Goodell, and the Falcons responded with his release.
While the character issues merit concern, it’s not unprecedented for an NFL player with a slightly-checkered past to overcome his self-imposed obstacles and be a solid on-field performer.
There’s a reason Williams was an early-second round draft pick, and if he can live up to the promise he showed as a Hokie, he could fill a large void in the 49ers secondary.
Similar to the quarterback and wide receiver positions, 49ers fans have been spoiled in years past with All-Pro performers at the safety position, and the drop off from the days of Ronnie Lott, Tim McDonald, and even Merton Hanks has been significant.
Former free agent pickup Michael Lewis didn’t exactly arrive in San Francisco with meteoric expectations, and still hasn’t been much better than serviceable.
Mark Roman, on the other hand, saw his production dip so much that his unceremonious release this off-season surprised no one, including himself.
Dashon Goldson has been tabbed his successor, but the versatile Williams could thwart his push for first-string status.
Having played all over the secondary in college, Williams is likely to see time at both corner and safety for the 49ers, and his 6-3, 220-pound frame suggest he’ll ultimately be better suited in the defense’s centerfield spot.
Should he regain the form that made him one of the more highly touted defensive back prospects of the 2006 draft, Williams could energize a secondary that faces the daunting task of containing the Arizona passing attack twice a season.
Sticking with the theme of defensive upgrades, the 49ers have been desperately seeking a bonafide sack artist in recent years, with their attempts at filling that void largely falling short.
The most likely place they’ll find that coveted pass rush in their 3-4 defense will be off the edge at outside linebacker, and while Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson have given the Niners reasons for optimism, there’s also potential on the bench.
Or more recently in Jay Moore’s case, on the injured reserve.
A solid performer in both the run and passing game, the former Nebraska defensive end was enjoying a solid rookie campaign in the 2007 preseason before an ankle injury cut the year short for him.
Moore has yet to live up to the promise he showed in college that led to his fourth round selection, but a return to full strength could lead to his factoring in at the outside linebacker spot.
His 38 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, as well as his all Big-12 Academic honors as a college player, suggest he has the physical and mental makeup to emerge in the coming season as a reliable contributor.
All indications are that the 49ers feel set for the time being with Haralson and Lawson, and passing on a pass rushing selection in the recent draft tends to verify that sentiment.
But neither has stolen the spotlight in their time with the 49ers, and that leaves the door open to the possibility that a third OLB could make an impact, even coming off the bench.
Looking to the offensive side, the most glaring weakness in an otherwise promising offensive line is at the right tackle position, which was marred in recent seasons by health issues with the now-departed Jonas Jennings, and his lack of quality backups.
Bay Area native Marvel Smith has been brought home to fill the void Jennings created when he, well, signed with the 49ers.
Smith’s Pro Bowl pedigree suggests that he is a quality addition to the 49ers, but recent back injuries suffered by the former Steeler are depleting the optimism of an improved line through Smith’s presence.
Despite mostly positive grades for the 2009 draft class, the main criticism being lofted at General Manager Scot McCloughan and company is that the 49ers had the option in rounds one and two to take the historically safer route by jumping on an offensive tackle.
One man who could silence the critics might be free agent rookie Alex Boone, a 2008 All-American tackle that boozed his way out of the 2009 draft and into the open arms of the 49ers.
Boone has been the center of attention in the ongoing theme of recent 49er acquisitions with character flaws, but he also deserves notice what he accomplished on the field at Ohio State, a program known for producing high quality NFL linemen.
The two-time first team All-Big Ten selection made 35 starts for the Buckeyes, and his performances in those starts had him regarded as one of the top overall tackle prospects before a second alcohol-related arrest prior to the draft forced his stock to plummet.
It’s not unreasonable to hope or even expect a 22-year-old will overcome those problems to realize his ultimate potential, and while the 49ers aren’t necessarily banking on it, Boone living up to his 2008 hype could pay huge dividends for San Francisco.
At 30 years of age, even a fully-healed Marvel Smith is not the long-term answer.
But the emergence of a reliable prospect at right tackle would free up the 49ers to address other concerns with their two first round picks in the 2010 draft, and keep them from having to risk another top-dollar free agent bust.
Obviously, none of the aforementioned players can be reasonably expected to provide dominant play at their respective positions–or even start for that matter.
But a glance at the 49ers roster, even with the 2009 offseason additions, shows some glaring holes that could take another year or two to fill.
That is, unless someone take a surprising step up.
McCloughan Raises the Bar In 49ers Draft Room
Published: April 29, 2009
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For all the swings and misses former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan took during his tenure with the team, both in regards to talent and when he walked the sideline, it’s becoming apparent that the one bright side to his “legacy” could be the hands he left the team in upon his midseason dismissal last year.
In an almost comical sense of irony, the first time coach that insisted on being the sole face of the franchise when he was hired in 2005 brought not one, but two, of his own successors into the fold—guys that were supposed to be his support and subordinates.
Ultimately, Nolan was replaced by his linebackers coach Mike Singletary, and fired by Scot McCloughan—a man he brought in as a glorified talent scout who was supposed to help Nolan with his General Manager duties but wound up assuming them himself, and then giving the sharp dressed coach his walking papers the following season.
If this past weekend’s draft is any indication, Nolan’s replacements have this team headed in the right direction.
Nothing is set in stone of course, especially with this 49ers team that could just as easily wind up with another top ten pick in the 2010 draft as it could find itself in the 2010 playoffs.
But the clear cut direction of the current regime is a breath of fresh air compared to the mixed signals and baffling decision making that was common place with Nolan.
Since McCloughan was originally brought on board, it was unclear exactly what role he played and how much power he held.
Even as he was promoted to the GM position prior to the 2008 season (supposedly to ease Nolan’s workload), the now former coach still stuck his chest out at the press conference and proclaimed himself to still be “the one voice of the franchise.”
For these reasons, it was hard to know who to credit the personnel decisions to, which, to some 49ers followers, appeared to be about the only praise Nolan was worthy of.
We can pat him on the back all we want for Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, and Joe Staley, but how hard is it to draft a Butkus Award winner?
How hard is it to take a third round flyer on an oft injured running back that had started over two quality NFL running backs in college? Trading up to get the best available tackle when your first major offseason signing was an expensively fragile offensive tackle?
What foresight…
The point is, the talent evaluation during Nolan’s tenure is as much responsible for his demise as his apparent cluelessness at times on the sideline and the lack of respect he held among his players.
As great as Willis and Gore have been, Nolan saddled the team with the likes of stone hands Vernon Davis, non-factor Kentwan Balmer, and borderline cripple Jonas Jennings. It’s hard to even say how big a bust Alex Smith has been considering Nolan rode him like a mule until his shoulder nearly disintegrated, and then outed him as a whiner to his teammates when Smith went public with his injuries.
Moving foward, if this team is to climb out of the lower echelon of NFL mediocrity, it needs to upgrade it’s talent and bring in long term solutions—not short term fixes, something McCloughan seems to have a firm grasp on.
Snagging Michael Crabtree at number 10 was obviously a no brainer. Both the head coach and the GM were steadfast in their claim that they were out for the best available players and not simply trying to fill needs.
What McCloughan did later on showed some true moxie.
With pressing needs staring him in the face during the second round, the GM watched as some of the 49ers more coveted players came off their board. Rather than reaching to fill a need, McCloughan set the team up for an even better draft in 2010, finagling Carolina’s first round pick next year for the teams second and fourth round picks.
The likes of Everette Brown (who Carolina traded up to get) and Jarron Gilbert were still on the board, potentially nice additions to a 49er squad in need of bolstering its pass rush.
But now, the 49ers are in a position to land two potential starters in the first two hours of next year’s draft, and if McCloughan packages those picks to move up and land, say, Heisman trophy winner Sam Bradford or USC’s Taylor Mays—possibly the second coming of Ronnie Lott—the pick swap will become pure genius.
Day two was equally productive with the 49ers taking QB Nate Davis in the fifth round; a high value pick given he was once considered a first day prospect. The addition of iron man tight end Bear Pascoe out of Fresno State, safety Curtis Taylor, and former five star recruit Rickey Jean-Francois (both from LSU) gave the team some intriguing prospects to work with.
And if your biggest reach of the draft is taking a bruising senior running back that rushed for over 1300 yards in the third round to spell your Pro Bowl workhorse, then pat yourself on the back.
To use the cliche, the draft “is, what it is…” and therefore, it’s not certain that this draft’s acquisitions won’t flop at the next level.
But since the end of last season, the 49ers brass—especially McCloughan—have maintained, without hesitation, that this team has a defined direction; a clear cut plan to return to its past glory.
By living up to it’s pre draft assurances, vague as they were (as with any NFL team), they’ve already begun putting their bold talk into promising action.
