LDE
Bryant Young is still here, and I love him. He’s not his former self, but IMO he is still a viable player either inside or outside. Clearly we’ll need to find a replacement STAT, but in the meantime, I think BY can hold it down for another year, maybe even 2.
The Solution: Throw every $$$ you have at the best FA you can find in 2008, or draft the top prospect at this position in the draft
NT
Isaac Sopoaga, Anthony Adams, and Ronald Fields are all pretty good players for this spot as I see it. For a 3-man rotation, I honestly think we could do A LOT worse. If Adams is gone after this season, I think replacing him with a mid-round draft choice in one of the upcoming two drafts would be fine. NT is arguably the spot we need the least help at IMO. Could we use an upgrade? Perhaps. But as Fields and Sopoaga continue to mature and learn technique, I think they both have potential.
The Solution: Stick with what you got
RDE
I think Marques Douglas does a pretty good job all told. His job isn’t to rack up numbers, but to create space for the LBs, and I personally feel that he does a good job doing that. However, I still think we could use another guy to bring in either situationally, or pushing Douglas to a more situational role.
The Solution: Sign Chad Lavalais this upcoming offseason
OLB
I don’t know about anyone else, but Brandon Moore has impressed me with his play outside, especially considering the fact that all the coaches seem to think he’s better suited as an inside player. Perhaps I haven’t been paying close enough attention to his coverage, but he seems like a winner outside. I think a mixture of Moore and Parys Haralson is a good combination for that spot.
The Solution: Stick with what you got
ILB
While I’m not nearly as vociferous as many in claiming that Derek Smith is the cause of all our problems in life, I agree that we need an upgrade inside. Smith is what he is: a guy who makes a lot of tackles. IMO, he’s a solid tackler and seems to diagnose plays pretty well…he just can’t seem to do anything about the diagnosis he made. Let’s get some young’uns in here.
The Solution: As badly as I want Calvin Johnson…draft Patrick Willis
ILB
Everything I just said about Derek Smith…I say about Jeff Ulbrich. I think he’s a good player, but I think he’d be even better if he were a rotational guy behind someone else.
The Solution: Sign a free agent with some mileage on him (like London Fletcher) to groom Philip Wheeler, who I like more than D’Qwell Jackson, who I love. Wheeler might be undersized, but he destroys everything in his path. I fucking love that guy.
OLB
Manny Lawson.
The Solution: Manny Lawson
RCB
Shawntae Spencer just got extended, and despite a subpar game yesterday, he’s still been a fine developing young player who I still believe will be among the top CBs in the league by the time he reaches his peak.
The Solution: Stick with what you got
LCB
Walt Harris is my hero. But he’s also a little old. We’re gonna need someone behind him to mature as he grows older. If it were possible to trade up like gangbusters and land both Willis and Antoine Cason, that’s the move. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely.
The Solution: Sign Nick Harper this upcoming offseason. He’s a young player who has continued to improve steadily, and even though he’s been in a Cover 2 scheme, I think he has natural talent in spades, and would make a fine CB2 opposite Spencer. Oh, and for the love of God, draft a CB on Day 1 just in case. Marcus McCauley or Fred Bennett would be two options.
SS
Tony Parrish is done. Plain and simple. Mark Roman is a nice stopgap, but we could definitely use an upgrade.
The Solution: Sign Michael Lewis this upcoming offseason. While I agree with Jordan that he could possibly play FS, I think he’s an outstanding SS, and is exactly what we need back there. And of course, Vickiel Vaughn will be around at some point (I love you Erickson!)
FS
As I’ve said numerous times, Mike Adams is a guy I’d love to keep as a “utility” DB; a guy who can be a nickel/dime CB, play a little FS when necessary, etc. But obviously an upgrade is absolutely vital.
The Solution: Draft Josh Gattis. He doesn’t have the hype of LaRon Landry and Brandon Merriwether because he plays for Wake Forest, but IMO he’s every bit the prospect. I THINK we could get him with our 2nd rounder at this point, but if not, he’d be worth trading back into round 1 for.
So, our defense would look like this down the line as I see it:
LDE—Bryant Young——> Top FA or draft choice of 2008
NT—Isaac Sopoaga, Ronald Fields——> Sopoaga, Fields, a mid-round prospect in 2007
RDE—Marques Douglas——> Douglas, Chad Lavalais
OLB—Brandon Moore——> Moore, Parys Haralson
ILB—Derek Smith——> Patrick Willis
ILB—Jeff Ulbrich——> London Fletcher——> Philip Wheeler
OLB—Manny Lawson——> Manny Lawson
RCB—Shawntae Spencer——> Shawntae Spencer
LCB—Walt Harris——> Nick Harper (or a prospect like McCauley or Bennett)
SS—Tony Parrish——> Mark Roman——> Michael Lewis
FS—Mike Adams——> Josh Gattis
We win!
BTW, if you’re wondering where the rest of our FA $$$ in 2007 are going in my dream, at least some of them are for Ernest Wilford from JAX, who would be a big, physical, grinding possession guy and safety valve. I love Wilford.
Aaron said:
Most players in the NFL ‘solid’, or ‘ok’ when you look at them individually, but average teams have playmakers on BOTH sides of the ball. We have no one on defense. IN the NFL 11 “solid” guys = crap.
2 hours after the fact.brent said:
I love Wilford, too. However, I dont believe that the Jags will let him leave.
2 hours after the fact.Nick said:
I agree with aaron. I was hoping they’d go after Abraham in the offseason, but he never wanted to go to the 9ers.
Unless the 49ers want to entirely rebuild the secondary, which is high risk for money, they need to invest the money into the best pass rushing defense ends money can buy. If it means they need to overpay a little, then so be it. I realize they don’t want to push the cap to the limit with any risk, but if they continue to build back with minor free agents and draft, it will be another 2-3 years before the team can even compete for the playoffs. Which is just unacceptable in the NFL.
This year is a bit of an exception to the rule thakns to the very late cap raise, but any other year, any team that has more than a couple million in unused cap space is not doing something right.
3 hours after the fact.ElPresidentaSmith aka ABQ49er said:
A pass rush will make our secondary look like Jesus, no not VD, but the savior him self was playing all positions.
3 hours after the fact.Crack said:
Some good points gents…
It’s not about having 11 solid guys. It’s about having some solid guys to balance out your superstars. In my vision, Manny Lawson, Michael Lewis, Patrick Willis, and Shawntae Spencer are superstar caliber, surrounded by some very good support players.
4 hours after the fact.49ersFan said:
I desagree a little even if i find very intersting your analyse.
12 hours after the fact.As you said, Young can still do the job for another year, at least, even is older. Agree with Moore, Lawson, Spencer… i still think Smith and Ulbrich are two good players, look at what Smith did last year.
The big problem for me is at DB corps. Need really update at safety. So in the next draft, i go with Laron Landry (1st choice) or Antoine cason (2nd choice) if Landry is not avaible when the 49ers will pick. And Use Adams, as you said, as an ” utility ” DB.
yes, i think Calvin Johnson will be the best choice for the 49ers but we have to make a significant upgrate in defense first and Landry is the solution, more than Willis.
NCH said:
Lavalais is pretty undersized and more of a Sapp-type of one gap penetrator instead of your traditional 2-gap 3-4 end.
14 hours after the fact.LOL said:
shaun philips or lance briggs will be FAs as well.
24 hours after the fact.VDforTD said:
” look at what Smith did last year. ”
What exactly did Smith do last year besides accumulating 100+ tackles? Put anyone in his position and they would accomplish the same thing. He is an average LB at best and the sooner he’s replaced the better.
1 day after the fact.dolemite said:
Who’s phillip wheeler?
2 days after the fact.Crack said:
Philip Wheeler = #41 on Georgia Tech…next time they’re on the telly, check him out.
3 days after the fact.john said:
micheal lewis is signed for the eagles for a long timne
8 days after the fact.BuzzTracker.com said:
Featured on BuzzTracker
57 days after the fact.