ESPN Insider Articles on the Niners

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Peterson back to his bestBy John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive Related Video:
Bryant Young on Steve Young and Alex Smith

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Here are five observations on the San Francisco 49ers, based on their Aug. 11 practice:


1. It will be tough for Alex Smith to complete 60 percent of his passes in his rookie season because the team is so understaffed at wide receiver. The franchise that once boasted the skills of Jerry Rice and John Taylor has Arnaz Battle and Brandon Lloyd as its starting receivers. Battle, a former sixth-round choice from Notre Dame who has just eight career catches, is considered the team's best wide receiver. In his first two seasons, Battle was one of the team's best special teams players.
His quickness and elusiveness in routes moved him ahead of Rashaun Woods and others on the depth chart. Lloyd is still a good sideline threat as the split end with the ability to make the acrobatic catch. Woods, last year's first-round choice, can't seem to win over the coaches. His rookie season was ruined by a chronic hamstring problem. Some folks in the press are speculating Woods might be cut. He'll probably be on the roster but in an inactive role. He's not among the team's top four receivers. Johnnie Morton is a nice insurance policy as a veteran backup.


2. Julian Peterson is a freak. A year ago, he blew out his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season. Now, watching him move and make plays at linebacker, Peterson doesn't look like he's coming off an injury. "I'm at least a month or so ahead of schedule," Peterson said. "It takes 12 months to come back from this kind of injury. It's been 10 months for me since the end of last August.''
Big things are planned for Peterson. Few linebackers have his range, but defensive coordinator Billy Davis is going to let Peterson rush the quarterback in blitzing situations. For years, Peterson has been considered one of the best coverage linebackers in football. He'll run up and down the field with some of the top tight ends and halfbacks and is able to blanket them. In five years, Peterson has only 18½ sacks. Don't be surprised if he comes close to 10 sacks this year. "He dropped more than he rushed, and that's why his sacks are so far down,'' Davis said. "We're going to let him attack and get after the quarterback.''


3. At first, the conversion to a 3-4 defense seemed to be a curious one. The 49ers' defense was built under previous administrations to be a light 4-3. Now, seeing the personnel in the 3-4, this looks like a smart conversion. The strength of the 49ers' defensive personnel is at linebacker, which is the key to any 3-4. They have three options at nose tackle -- Anthony Adams, Isaac Sopoaga and rookie Ronald Fields. But the 49ers are deep at linebacker.


Andre Carter will have to adjust to a new role in '05.Peterson is a potential Pro Bowler and should do well as a pass-rusher. Jamie Winborn has a lot of range and athletic ability at outside linebacker. Derek Smith and Jeff Ulbrich fit the mold of being run-stuffing inside linebackers. What will be interesting to watch is how Andre Carter adjusts to moving from defensive end to outside linebacker. Carter was taken in the first round five years ago as a pass-rushing defensive end. He is quick off the corner, but his body has taken a pounding and tends to wear down as the season goes on.

Carter is a backup outside linebacker in the 3-4, but the 49ers think he will be a valuable asset.

"Carter was an undersized pass-rusher, so instead of having him take the pounding all day from a tackle, we can now make him go against a tight end,'' Davis said. "We think he can be special as a pass-rusher, and he won't wear out.''


4. Kevan Barlow is clearly established as the starting halfback, but Frank Gore will challenge him for playing time as the season goes on. Gore is a tough inside runner. He's 5-foot-9, 217 pounds and was drafted in the third round. A shoulder injury will keep the Miami product out of the first week of exhibition action.
Gore was one of the nation's best high school recruits at halfback after gaining 2,953 yards and scoring 34 touchdowns as a senior. He averaged 9.1 yards a carry as a college freshman but was slowed by injuries after that.

"I had some setbacks in college,'' Gore said. "I'm trying to be the best back to come out of these rookie plays. Had I not been injured, I would have been the first back taken."


5. The offensive line remains a concern. The 49ers made a good move in getting Jonas Jennings from Buffalo as a left tackle, but he's got a hand injury that is keeping him out of practice. Center Jeremy Newberry is out with knee problems. They hope he's ready for the start of the season. Second-round choice David Baas is sidelined.
To get through the first game against the Raiders, the 49ers are going to start Patrick Estes at left tackle. Estes was Heath Miller's backup at tight end for Virginia. To make matters worse, he's playing with a broken bone in his left hand, requiring a cast on the most important hand for a left tackle in protection. Kwame Harris, a former first-round pick, has moved from left tackle to right tackle and seems to be more settled there.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

 

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LBs will need to carry defenseScouts Inc.
Related Video:
Bryant Young on Steve Young and Alex Smith

As another NFL season approaches, Scouts Inc. breaks down every roster and offers position-by-position breakdowns.

San Francisco 49ers Training Camp
Site: 49ers Complex
Location: Santa Clara, Calif.
Start date: July 29 (rookies and vets)
2004 Record: 2-14

Expanded NFL Training Camp Coverage


Quarterbacks
Head coach Mike Nolan has yet to name his starter, as the first overall pick in this year's draft Alex Smith and last year's starter Tim Rattay are expected to compete for the job.

Smith's inexperience and the fact that he played in a wide open offense that simplified his reads, are reasons for concern, but he still has the edge in this competition for three reasons. The first is new offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy's West Coast scheme is far different than the offense San Francisco ran last year. As a result, both quarterbacks are learning a new scheme. The second is Rattay missed seven games with injuries last year.

Stability at the quarterback position is important and Rattay's injuries raise concerns about his ability to stay healthy over a 16-game season. The third is Smith has more natural ability than Rattay. He's taller than Rattay, so he can see the entire field from inside the pocket and is more of a threat to run when nothing is available downfield.

Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett will compete for the No. 3 role. Dorsey did an admirable job of filling in for Ratty last year and is a leader on the field, but Pickett has a little more upside because of his superior size and arm strength, so don't count him out.

Running backs
The 49ers probably felt comfortable making Garrison Hearst a cap casualty last year because his backup Kevan Barlow actually led the team in rushing in 2003. Unfortunately, Barlow finished last year with a career low 3.4 average yards per carry, and the former coaching staff even demoted him for a game.

However, it's important to note that inconsistent offensive line play, and the lack of a passing attack to keep defenses honest, hindered him. The good news is Barlow has the size, burst and lateral mobility to bounce back with a strong season, if he's more decisive hitting the hole and gets more support.

If he can stay healthy, look for 2005 third-round pick Frank Gore to push Maurice Hicks for playing time and eventually become Barlow's backup. Two significant knee injuries obviously raise concerns about Gore's durability, and he has lost some of his explosiveness. However, he reads his blocks well, runs low to the ground and can bounce runs outside after starting inside.

While Hicks probably has better initial quickness than Gore, he's an undersized change-of-pace back who lacks breakaway speed and drops some passes he should catch. Terry Jackson is a versatile backup who should continue to provide depth at running back, as well as fullback, while making his biggest contributions on special teams.

Fullbacks
Fred Beasley is one of the best in the league. He is a powerful between-the-tackles runner who can pick up the tough yards in short-yardage situations and is a reliable possession receiver, but his biggest strength is his lead blocking. Beasley plays with a mean steak, explodes into his blocks and is relentless once in position.

San Francisco doesn't have a prototypical backup fullback, but Jackson and Steve Bush, who is more of an H-Back than a true fullback, provide adequate depth. Bush's biggest strength is his blocking and Jackson's biggest strength is his versatility. He is obviously an effective runner and catches the ball well. With that said, there would be a substantial drop off in talent should Beasley miss an extended period of time.

 

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Wide Receivers
With Cedrick Wilson departing through free agency, the 49ers did well to sign Johnnie Morton, who played for receivers' coach Jerry Sullivan for five years while the two were in Detroit. Morton should have little problem getting comfortable with the scheme and should provide some much-needed veteran leadership.



MortonThe problem is he doesn't have the natural ability to consistently draw the coverage away from other receivers. That means his younger counterparts need to make significant strides for San Francisco to improve a pass offense that finished 19th in the league last year.

The receiver whose progress will be monitored the closest will be 2004 first-round pick Rashaun Woods. Woods doesn't have ideal speed and is coming off a disappointing season, but has the quickness, strength and hands to develop into a quality No. 2.

Ideally, he progresses to the point that he can push Brandon Lloyd for playing time. Although Lloyd is an adequate starter who flashes the ability to make the spectacular catch downfield, and is dangerous after the catch, lacks ideal size and physical corners will push him around at times. He's more effective working out of the slot consequently.

There isn't great depth here either, so it's important that Morton and Lloyd stay healthy. Keep an eye on 2005 fifth-round pick Rasheed Marshall. Marshall is a developmental prospect who played quarterback in college. He's obviously raw but has the quickness and athletic ability to develop into a playmaker. Keeping that in mind, San Francisco may finds ways to get the ball in his hands.

Tight End
After sustaining a season-ending collarbone injury during the 2003 season, Eric Johnson bounced back to lead the team in receptions and receiving yards last year. He is a reliable possession receiver who knows how to get open and rarely drops passes he should catch.

With so many questions remaining at receiver, look for him to play a big role in the passing game once again. However, Johnson isn't a dominant drive blocker and lacks great speed, so he isn't going to make many big plays.

Backup Aaron Walker doesn't have the lower body strength to drive defenders off the ball or the speed to consistently work the seam, but provides good depth. He does a good job of sustaining his blocks once in position and has good hands. 2005 seventh-round picks Billy Bajema and Patrick Estes will compete with Doug Zeigler for the No. 3 role.

While Bajema and Ziegler have the natural ability develop into productive situational receivers, Estes has the potential to develop into an effective blocker. Considering both Johnson and Walker are better receivers, they are blockers Estes could have the edge heading into training camp.

Offensive line
Kwame Harris tends to lose his balance when forced to redirect quickly, and needs to learn to use his hands to ride edge rushers past the pocket. He isn't a great fit at left tackle, where he has to protect the quarterback's blindside, as a result. However, Harris has the size, quick first step and tenacity to develop into an excellent starting right tackle. That's why signing free agent Jonas Jennings should improve this line significantly. Jennings has the size, footwork and long arms to start at left tackle, allowing Harris to move to the right side.

Justin Smiley and Eric Heitmann are projected to start at guard at this point. Smiley plays with a mean streak, locks onto the defender's frame and does a good job of sustaining his blocks. Heitmann rarely takes false steps and has the initial quickness to beat defenders to the point of attack. They are adequate starters but they aren't great drive blockers, and that could open the door for 2005 third-round pick Adam Snyder, who has excellent size.

Jeremy Newberry underwent two knee surgeries and was slowed by back problems, causing him to miss the final 15 games of the season last year. Although he's expected to make a full recovery and is a quality starter, there are no guarantees he'll be able to stay healthy. The good news is 2005 second-round pick Adam Baas should provide excellent depth behind Newberry. Baas has the natural ability and intangibles to quickly develop into an every-down center.

 

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Defensive line
With new defensive coordinator Billy Davis implementing a base 3-4 defense, there will be some changes up front. Bryant Young will move from defensive tackle to defensive end, Andre Carter is expected to move to outside linebacker from defensive end, and free-agent signing Marques Douglas will start opposite Young.



YoungYoung has lost a step with age and isn't fast enough to turn the corner coming off the edge, but is a powerful bull rusher who will collapse the pocket at times. More importantly, he has the lower body strength and size to hold his ground at the point of attack and help keep blockers off the linebackers.

Douglas' size make him a good fit for the 3-4 scheme as well, and he played under Nolan in Baltimore so he should help the rest of the defensive line make the transition. With Douglas and Young.

There isn't a dominant nose tackle on the roster, but there is good depth. Anthony Adams plays with good leverage and has the lower body strength to hold his ground at the point of attack. Isaac Sopoagoa is inconsistent, but has excellent size and can occupy blockers at the line of scrimmage when he plays with good leverage.

While 2005 fifth-round pick Ronald Fields is raw and lacks the endurance of an every-down player, he has plays with a mean streak and is big enough to control the middle of the line of scrimmage as well.

Linebackers
If everyone can stay healthy, this will be the strength of the defense. LOLB Julian Peterson has sideline-to-sideline range, shows excellent speed when rushing the passer and has above-average cover skills. Who will start opposite remains to be seen, but the good news is San Francisco actually has options here.

Jamie Winborn has the initial quickness to shoot gaps and flashes the ability to make the big play in the backfield. However, he's undersized and struggles when teams run at him. Although Carter doesn't have great experience dropping into coverage, he's an explosive pass rusher and excels in pursuit.

Ideally, Carter wins the starting job because he has a little more upside than Winborn. However, durability is a significant concern here. Peterson is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, Winborn has sustained season-ending injuries two of the past three seasons and back problems caused Carter to miss nine games last year.

Derek Smith and Jeff Ulbrich are expected to start in the middle, with Saleem Rasheed backing them up. Smith is an overachiever who makes up for his lack of ideal athletic ability by playing with sound technique and always working until the whistle. While Ulbrich isn't going to make a lot of big plays, he takes good angles to the ball and is a reliable open field tackler. Rasheed lacks the size of an every-down linebacker, but has the range and burst to make an impact in passing situations.

Defensive Backs
The departure of Ronnie Heard, who started 15 games last year, has created a void at free safety, and San Francisco is expected to fill that need by moving 2002 first-round pick Mike Rumph from corner. Although Rumph will need some time to adjust to his new position, moving him makes sense for a couple of reasons. The first is Rumph has been somewhat of a disappointment at corner and has the size, range and cover skills to develop into an excellent starter at safety.

2002 fourth-round pick DC Shawntae Spencer's steady progress over the course of last year is the second reason, as he appears ready to compete for the starting job opposite Ahmed Plummer. Spencer is inconsistent and vulnerable to getting beat deep when left on an island, but plays with a mean streak, uses his hands fairly well and has the upper body strength to muscle receivers of their routes.

It's also important to note that while moving Rumph weakens the depth at corner, there isn't much depth at safety either. Look for the Dwaine Carpenter to backup Rumph at safety and win the Nickel back job during training camp. Carpenter isn't an ideal fit at either position but flashes the ability to provide the big play and is versatile enough to provide adequate depth.

The good news is SS Tony Parrish is a leader on the field who rarely makes mistakes and plays with a non-stop motor. He should make the transition for Rumph a little easier and help Spencer get comfortable in his starting role.

 

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Special teams
Todd Peterson's decision to sign with Atlanta during the offseason has created an opening at place kicker, and San Francisco is expected to give free-agent signing Joe Nedney an opportunity to fill it. Nedney has the leg strength to connect on long-range field goal attempts and gets excellent distance on his kickoffs, but his accuracy is inconsistent.

More importantly, he's had problems staying healthy, as he sustained a season-ending knee injury in 2003 and a hamstring injury forced him to miss the entire 2004 season. With the inexperienced Kirk Yliniemi the only other kicker on the roster, don't be surprised to see the 49ers bring in another kicker before the start of the regular season.

P Andy Lee has a powerful leg and gets good distance on his punts, but will out-kick the coverage at times. In addition, he wasn't as accurate during his rookie season last year as he was at the collegiate level. However, don't expect him to lose the job to rookie Cole Farden, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent. While Farden is versatile enough to handle kickoffs, he is inconsistent and struggled at the Senior Bowl during the offseason.

WR Battle reaches his top speed quickly and has the elusiveness to make multiple defenders miss, making him a dangerous punt-return man, but he doesn't have breakaway speed. As a result, WR Marshall, who shows a second gear in the open field, could get an opportunity to return punts.

Although RB Maurice Hicks accelerates well and flashes good vision, he's inconsistent and isn't much of a homerun threat. Look for DC Johnson and Marshall to get some opportunities to return kickoffs consequently. Johnson's quick feet and burst make him a dangerous open field runner.

Coaching
New head coach Mike Nolan has the daunting task of make a San Francisco team that finished 2-14 a playoff contender once again. While he doesn't have any head coaching experience, Nolan has been a defensive coordinator with four different teams for a total of 10 years, and there's reason to believe he'll be successful with the 49ers.

He's an excellent teacher on the field and does a good job of helping younger players develop. It's also important to remember that Nolan became Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2002, when cap issues forced the Ravens to part ways with several key defensive players. Despite those losses and the fact the defense went from a 4-3 front to a 3-4-front, Baltimore's run defense gave up just 3.7 yards per carry that year.

Offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy is a former NFC assistant coach of the year and he too is known as a teaching coach who takes the time to help players work on specifics. He is also a former quarterback coach who has worked with Brett Favre and Joe Montana. He runs the West Coast offense, making him a good fit. Nolan is expected to give McCarthy some input, but the offense will be his to run for the most part.

Billie Davis is just 39 years old and this is his first defensive coordinator job, but his hiring shouldn't have come as a surprise. Davis coached linebackers under Dan Reeves, who gave Nolan his first coaching job in the NFL, in Atlanta from 2001 until 2003.

The Falcons went from a base 4-3-front to a base 3-4-front in 2002, just as San Francisco is expected to do this year, and Davis played a big role. His familiarity with the 3-4-defense, and his experience helping the Falcons make that transition earlier in his career, should serve him well.

Special teams' coordinator Larry Mac Duff is entering his third season with the 49ers and Nolan brought him back for good reason. He has 30 years of coaching experience and his return teams have shown a penchant for making the big play. However, his return teams need to be more consistent and his punt cover teams need to show improvement as well.