Niners grab spotlight
I’m just wondering who can talk baseball right now with all of
the major moves that the San Francisco 49ers have pulled in the
last several weeks?
I’m talking about the signings of Mike Martz, Isaac Bruce, Allen
Rossum, Justin Smith
…
Niners grab spotlight
I’m just wondering who can talk baseball right now with all of the major moves that the San Francisco 49ers have pulled in the last several weeks?
I’m talking about the signings of Mike Martz, Isaac Bruce, Allen Rossum, Justin Smith…
What’s going on here? It looks like the York’s could actually be serious this time around. In actuality, it’s probably more like these moves were made just to enhance their ability to sell the 49ers move to the city of Santa Clara a lot easier – and a playoff team is a lot easier for the South Bay fans to buy into than a 5-11 team that’s stuck in neutral.
Other than extending Alex Smith’s contract, everything the Niners have done this off-season has been rock solid. So far, I give it a solid A. If they can now draft one bad S.O.B. of a pass rusher this team could go deep into the playoffs next year.
First, the Niners bring in Martz, the former winning Super Bowl coach with the Rams – the guy who helped assemble the “Greatest Show on Turf.”
Martz will know how to keep the chains moving. He’ll utilize tight end Vernon Davis a lot more – to the point that we’ll finally get to see what all the “explosive speed” hype was about. He’ll also use Frank Gore more like Bill Walsh used to use Roger Craig. All of this should help Shaun Hill – the quarterback that I believe the 49ers should start. But if Alex Smith is still made the starting QB these moves should even make him look half decent.
Now toss in Isaac Bruce and the situation gets better. Granted, I’m a little concerned about his age (35) but even if the 49ers can get two good years out of him they’ve done well. Remember, the NFL is all about winning right now.
Bruce, won’t be allowed to wear No. 80 in his new 49er garb but he already knows the offense Martz will run and he has the play-making ability to spread the field. Now toss in Jackson, who came from Seattle last year, and Arnaz Battle and the Niners have a solid receiving core. Not to mention Ashley Lelie.
Combine those moves with the $45-million defensive signing this week of former Bengal defensive end Justin Smith and the Niners look even more serious. Sure, filling in for the retired Bryant Young is a hole that can never be filled but the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Smith is durable, starting in 107 of 111 games. He also has 43.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions. And he appears to have the same work ethic that made guys like Bryant Young and Jerry Rice so special. And a sack specialist is just what the doctor ordered for the 49ers.
On special teams, take a look at the punt-return specialist from Pittsburgh that the Niners signed this past week. Last year former Pro Bowler Allen Rossum burned Nolan & Company for a 98-yard touchdown return in route to the Steelers’ blowout victory. In his 10 years in the league Rossum has established himself as one of the most productive returners of all time. He enters the upcoming season ranked second in NFL history for career total return yards (13,269) and kickoff return yards (10,520). At cornerback, Rossum has posted 118 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries, two interceptions, two sacks and 14 passes defensed.
Take these changes and now add a healthy linebacker, Manny Lawson, back into the mix, NFL defensive Rookie of the Year Patrick Willis, Nate Clements and Walt Harris and the Niners potentially have one of the best defenses in the NFL. In fact, they might have been held in that regard a year ago, if they weren’t overly exhausted from being on the field the whole game.
This year they won’t be on the field as much and fresher legs means quicker times to the QB. And remember the best quarterback in the world can do a thing when he’s being drilled into the ground all the time. Just ask Tom Brady.
Niner fans, the season is still a long ways away. But this year the playoffs will become a reality – mark my words…
