Here come the 49ers of the future
Forty-nine days from now the San Francisco 49ers could be the
team to beat in the NFL.
Granted, that is a bit of a stretch but 49 days from now also
happens to be the day of the NFL Draft. And the Niners
– with strong picks – could move into the NFL’s ever-changing
class of elite teams.
Forty-nine days from now the San Francisco 49ers could be the team to beat in the NFL.
Granted, that is a bit of a stretch but 49 days from now also happens to be the day of the NFL Draft. And the Niners – with strong picks – could move into the NFL’s ever-changing class of elite teams.
Right now, the 49ers have the best starting running back in the NFC in Frank Gore. The Niners have a starting quarterback who seems to be growing by leaps and bounds each season.
Both quarterback Alex Smith and Gore also have the luxury of playing behind a solid offensive line that is anchored by future Hall of Famer Larry Allen.
The bottom line is holes will continue to open up this year for Gore. Smith has more time to throw on passing downs. And when he’s pressured, he can dump the ball off on Gore or Vernon Davis, a No. 1 pick himself with a ton of potential at tight end.
Defensively, Bryant Young – the only remaining 49er from the organization’s last Super Bowl team – is still one of the best defensive linemen in the league. The Niners also have a strong line-backing core that has speed and a knack for swarming around the ball.
To make things more enticing, the 49ers’ free-agent acquisitions this past week have no doubt raised the eyebrow of some Vegas odds makers.
Especially when the team owners decided to break out the checkbook and sign $80-million-dollar man Nate Clements, the outstanding cornerback from Buffalo.
That Eddie-DeBartolo-like move alone not only beefed up the secondary, it made it playoff caliber. With Clements playing alongside Walt Harris in the two cornerback slots, the city by the Bay will have a feel of the early 1980s when Ronnie Lott (Clements) was playing alongside Eric Wright (Harris).
The 49ers also scored some more key points for the defense with the addition of former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin and Philadelphia safety Michael Lewis.
Take the existing 49ers team from 2006, combine it with these recent play-making acquisitions and then toss in a big-time college defensive end or receiver from this year’s draft and presto: The 49ers are instant contenders for a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
At the very least, these decisive moves have shown that the York’s are finally willing to break out the checkbook to make things happen.
Maybe it’s because Denise and her husband are tired of getting booed by the fans while constantly being compared to Eddie D.
All I can say is obviously those loud boos that engulfed Monster Park when the Yorks walked out of the field last season during the 49ers’ retirement ceremony for Jerry Rice struck a nerve somewhere.
After all, those same boos turned into cheers the second the crowd spotted Denise’s brother and the team’s former beloved owner on the field – the same owner that was at the helm during the 49ers most successful, Super Bowl Championship years of the 1980s and 1990s.
It sounds like the brother vs. sister rivalry is still alive and well. Only this time it’s Denise that might earn some cheers.
John Bagley can be reached at
jb*****@pi**********.com
.
