Three Burning Questions
Will Alex Smith become a legitimate QB and leader? Even though it is not necessarily fair, this is somewhat of a make or break-type season for the young QB. Right now expectations for him are high, and a lot of 49er fans are already starting to label him with the "bust" tag. Smith was thrown into a no-win situation last season on an injury-riddled and marginal football team. No rookie QB could have survived under the circumstances he was faced with. That said, he does need to get better. He is coming off a season where he barely completed 50 percent of his passes and threw 11 INTs to one TD. He will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, so that will be tough on him. However, he has a few things going for him. First of all, he has a solid new offensive coordinator in Norv Turner. He has two solid tight ends in Eric Johnson and rookie Vernon Davis. The offensive line should be able to protect him better and he has a new vertical threat in Antonio Bryant. Enough pieces are now in place for Smith to be judged fairly.
Camp battle to watch
Alex Smith vs. Trent Dilfer
You can expect the 49ers to do all they can to make sure Smith wins this battle, but what happens if Dilfer outplays him in the preseason? It is not a stretch for that to occur. Dilfer is a veteran QB who is more likely to pick up the offensive system more quickly than Smith, whose head is likely still spinning from trying to figure out what they were doing last year. Dilfer is a guy who over his career has been an offensive caretaker, which is something this team needs. Smith should win this battle, but the addition of Dilfer means he will constantly be looking over his shoulder should he struggle.
Who is going to carry the load at RB?
It would be hard to fathom the 49ers sticking with Kevan Barlow as the No. 1 guy again this season. Here is a big, powerful back who plays like he is 185 pounds. He is soft, tentative to the hole and it's rare to see him break tackles and make a ton of yards after contact. Frank Gore, on other hand, is a player who brings a little more explosiveness to the position. He is a lot more shifty and elusive and did an excellent job of capitalizing on his opportunities last year. Head coach Mike Nolan defended Barlow quite a bit last season, but now that Turner is running the show on offense, expect him to have a lot more say in who carries the load this year. Gore is a very good fit for what he likes to do offensively. This will be Barlow's job to lose, and if he continues to run with no authority or urgency, it will be a job he loses in training camp.
Can they fix their issues in the secondary?
This defensive backs were a complete disaster last season. The 49ers could not stop anyone. What they have going for them are solid schemes and Nolan's knowledge of defense. One thing that should help is better health -- three of their four opening-day starting DBs were lost to injury last season. The team added Walt Harris (Washington) and Sammy Davis (San Diego). Both players have a lot of starting experience and shouldn't make the same mental mistakes that plagued their young players last year. Overall they are better, but they will struggle again versus some explosive passing offenses in the NFC West if they can't find a way to get consistent pressure on the QB.
The player under the microscope
QB Alex Smith. He was forced into action way too early last season and it was clear from day one that he was nowhere near being ready to lead the 49ers' offense. Smith was expected to be the savior for this downtrodden franchise, and he struggled to handle that kind of pressure just as the majority of rookies would. The question now becomes whether he can bounce back after having his confidence shattered last season. It will be an uphill battle for Smith. First of all, way too many fans have already labeled him a bust. He will also need to learn an entirely new offensive system under Turner. Having to learn two systems in two seasons is a lot to ask of a young QB. The bottom line is this: Smith is smart and has the tools to develop. They just need to hope his psyche was not too fractured by the organization throwing him into a no-win situation last season
Breakout player
Rookie OLB Manny Lawson. He has been handed the starting position because of the team's complete lack of depth at OLB. Sure, he still has a lot to learn, but his ability is off the charts. Look for the 49ers' staff to exploit mismatches by getting Lawson into as many favorable matchups as possible.
Comeback player of the year
TE Eric Johnson. Even though the 49ers drafted TE Vernon Davis, you can expect that if healthy, Johnson will be highly productive. Turner loves to use two-TE sets, and both Johnson and Davis are two of the better offensive weapons on a team that does not have a lot of explosive playmakers. When healthy, Johnson has proved he can be a go-to guy and a player who can make a difference at all three levels of the passing game.
Offensive philosophy
The 49ers have been an extremely conservative offensive team under Nolan. However, you can expect them to open up the offense a little more this season under the tutelage of Turner. Turner likes to push the envelope a little more, but a lot of that will depend on how much Alex Smith matures in year two. Turner's offenses have traditionally been extremely tight end-friendly, which bodes well for him because he has two very good ones in Johnson and rookie Davis. Look for Turner to use a lot of two-TE sets where he can move the players around in the offense and look for mismatches. In terms of the run game, Turner needs a versatile runner to get the most out of his system. Gore, who brings a little more cutback ability than Barlow, should see increased playing time. Turner might have just been average as a head coach, but he knows offense. His and the team's offensive philosophy will be determined by how much QB Smith has progressed. Turner would like to be a little more wide open, but if Smith struggles, you can expect them to be as conservative as ever in hopes that they can take care of the ball and steal a few games with a much-improved defense.
Defensive philosophy
Statistically, the 49ers had the worst defense in the NFL last season. They finished the year ranked 18th defending the run and 32nd defending the pass. Their pass defense was the real Achilles' heel. The run defense was solid at times and played better than the ranking would indicate. The 49ers just flat out were missing a lot of pieces last season. Their secondary was riddled with injuries and they were also trying to make a transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4 without all the proper personnel. The biggest problem the 49ers face is that they have lost two of their better defensive players. OLB Julian Peterson (Seattle) was the catalyst of their defense and an excellent fit in that 3-4 scheme. The team also lost OLB Andre Carter (Washington). Even though Carter has been somewhat of an underachiever, he was one of the better players on a suspect defense. A lot of what the 49ers will now try to do will be based on creating opportunities for rookie Lawson to get pressure on the QB. How quickly Lawson can pick up the defense will go a long way in determining the fate of their defense this season.
Will Alex Smith become a legitimate QB and leader? Even though it is not necessarily fair, this is somewhat of a make or break-type season for the young QB. Right now expectations for him are high, and a lot of 49er fans are already starting to label him with the "bust" tag. Smith was thrown into a no-win situation last season on an injury-riddled and marginal football team. No rookie QB could have survived under the circumstances he was faced with. That said, he does need to get better. He is coming off a season where he barely completed 50 percent of his passes and threw 11 INTs to one TD. He will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, so that will be tough on him. However, he has a few things going for him. First of all, he has a solid new offensive coordinator in Norv Turner. He has two solid tight ends in Eric Johnson and rookie Vernon Davis. The offensive line should be able to protect him better and he has a new vertical threat in Antonio Bryant. Enough pieces are now in place for Smith to be judged fairly.
Camp battle to watch
Alex Smith vs. Trent Dilfer
You can expect the 49ers to do all they can to make sure Smith wins this battle, but what happens if Dilfer outplays him in the preseason? It is not a stretch for that to occur. Dilfer is a veteran QB who is more likely to pick up the offensive system more quickly than Smith, whose head is likely still spinning from trying to figure out what they were doing last year. Dilfer is a guy who over his career has been an offensive caretaker, which is something this team needs. Smith should win this battle, but the addition of Dilfer means he will constantly be looking over his shoulder should he struggle.
Who is going to carry the load at RB?
It would be hard to fathom the 49ers sticking with Kevan Barlow as the No. 1 guy again this season. Here is a big, powerful back who plays like he is 185 pounds. He is soft, tentative to the hole and it's rare to see him break tackles and make a ton of yards after contact. Frank Gore, on other hand, is a player who brings a little more explosiveness to the position. He is a lot more shifty and elusive and did an excellent job of capitalizing on his opportunities last year. Head coach Mike Nolan defended Barlow quite a bit last season, but now that Turner is running the show on offense, expect him to have a lot more say in who carries the load this year. Gore is a very good fit for what he likes to do offensively. This will be Barlow's job to lose, and if he continues to run with no authority or urgency, it will be a job he loses in training camp.
Can they fix their issues in the secondary?
This defensive backs were a complete disaster last season. The 49ers could not stop anyone. What they have going for them are solid schemes and Nolan's knowledge of defense. One thing that should help is better health -- three of their four opening-day starting DBs were lost to injury last season. The team added Walt Harris (Washington) and Sammy Davis (San Diego). Both players have a lot of starting experience and shouldn't make the same mental mistakes that plagued their young players last year. Overall they are better, but they will struggle again versus some explosive passing offenses in the NFC West if they can't find a way to get consistent pressure on the QB.
The player under the microscope
QB Alex Smith. He was forced into action way too early last season and it was clear from day one that he was nowhere near being ready to lead the 49ers' offense. Smith was expected to be the savior for this downtrodden franchise, and he struggled to handle that kind of pressure just as the majority of rookies would. The question now becomes whether he can bounce back after having his confidence shattered last season. It will be an uphill battle for Smith. First of all, way too many fans have already labeled him a bust. He will also need to learn an entirely new offensive system under Turner. Having to learn two systems in two seasons is a lot to ask of a young QB. The bottom line is this: Smith is smart and has the tools to develop. They just need to hope his psyche was not too fractured by the organization throwing him into a no-win situation last season
Breakout player
Rookie OLB Manny Lawson. He has been handed the starting position because of the team's complete lack of depth at OLB. Sure, he still has a lot to learn, but his ability is off the charts. Look for the 49ers' staff to exploit mismatches by getting Lawson into as many favorable matchups as possible.
Comeback player of the year
TE Eric Johnson. Even though the 49ers drafted TE Vernon Davis, you can expect that if healthy, Johnson will be highly productive. Turner loves to use two-TE sets, and both Johnson and Davis are two of the better offensive weapons on a team that does not have a lot of explosive playmakers. When healthy, Johnson has proved he can be a go-to guy and a player who can make a difference at all three levels of the passing game.
Offensive philosophy
The 49ers have been an extremely conservative offensive team under Nolan. However, you can expect them to open up the offense a little more this season under the tutelage of Turner. Turner likes to push the envelope a little more, but a lot of that will depend on how much Alex Smith matures in year two. Turner's offenses have traditionally been extremely tight end-friendly, which bodes well for him because he has two very good ones in Johnson and rookie Davis. Look for Turner to use a lot of two-TE sets where he can move the players around in the offense and look for mismatches. In terms of the run game, Turner needs a versatile runner to get the most out of his system. Gore, who brings a little more cutback ability than Barlow, should see increased playing time. Turner might have just been average as a head coach, but he knows offense. His and the team's offensive philosophy will be determined by how much QB Smith has progressed. Turner would like to be a little more wide open, but if Smith struggles, you can expect them to be as conservative as ever in hopes that they can take care of the ball and steal a few games with a much-improved defense.
Defensive philosophy
Statistically, the 49ers had the worst defense in the NFL last season. They finished the year ranked 18th defending the run and 32nd defending the pass. Their pass defense was the real Achilles' heel. The run defense was solid at times and played better than the ranking would indicate. The 49ers just flat out were missing a lot of pieces last season. Their secondary was riddled with injuries and they were also trying to make a transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4 without all the proper personnel. The biggest problem the 49ers face is that they have lost two of their better defensive players. OLB Julian Peterson (Seattle) was the catalyst of their defense and an excellent fit in that 3-4 scheme. The team also lost OLB Andre Carter (Washington). Even though Carter has been somewhat of an underachiever, he was one of the better players on a suspect defense. A lot of what the 49ers will now try to do will be based on creating opportunities for rookie Lawson to get pressure on the QB. How quickly Lawson can pick up the defense will go a long way in determining the fate of their defense this season.
