D-line assessment

Mike Nolan called them "mudders" and "grunts." They are the three down linemen who made up the basis of the 3-4 defense. Basically in such system they are the unseen and unacknowledged, unless one happens to be named Justin Smith. The 49ers right defensive end not only finished tied on the team in sacks, he was a stop sign for runs aimed at left tackle. According to statistics compiled by the footballoutsiders.com web site, opponents averaged 3.08 in adjusted line yards when they tried to run at left tackle - the lowest average in the league.

Adjusted line yards are calculated through an regression analysis and assign 120% for no yards or negative yards on a run play, 100% on a run 0-4 yards, 50% on runs 5-10 yards and 0% on runs 11 yards or more.

Overall, the 49ers ranked third defensively in the outsiders's comprehensive DVOA ranking. What's also interesting is that the defense was third in adjusted sack rate, which divides the number of sacks by the number of defensive snaps. Of course, we know that the 49ers got a bundle of sacks against weak opponents in sometimes meaningless games, including eight in the season finale against the Rams.

My sense is the 49ers needed to pick up the pressure when they get to their nickel and dime defenses. Those packages include four-man fronts, and those players need to beat the 0-line more often for pressure. Smith brought pressure with remarkable consistency, but others, specifically the emerging Ahmad Brooks, need to take that next step.

Brooks broke into the rushing rotation in October last year. Armed with a new contract, and the prospect of more playing time, he might go from six sacks to possibly 10. Take the 5 to 7 sacks Smith Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson get each, and the 49ers are a sack threat. But now, like some many aspects of this team, the 49ers have to bring their pressure against the league's better offenses.

NOTES: The 49ers released Jared Perry, possibly to make room for signing more draft picks. With training camp less than a week away, the dam should break soon league-wide on signing high-round picks.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | July 26 2010 at 11:29 AM

Jean-Francois by a nose

Nose guard Aubrayo Franklin missed the 49ers' just concluded two-day organized team activity. Although that's not the way it looked to burgeoning nose guard Ricky Jean-Francois. For the second-year player out of LSU, Franklin is always there, at least virtually.

Jean-Francois is trying to be Franklin's backup after playing defensive tackle and end in college. "I look at film of him all the time," Jean-Francois said. "He's the Peyton Manning of nose tackles with his technique."

For Jean-Francois to have success, he'll have to not only mimic Franklin, but possibly make up a few moves of his own to play that demanding position. Franklin, who's trying to work out a long-term deal with the 49ers after they designated him with the franchise tag, plays at a downright skinny 315 pounds. Many nose guards tip the toledos at 330 plus. Jean-Francois is an anorexic 295.

"The way he plays, he plays like a big guy," Jean-Francois said of Franklin with wide-eyed admiration. "Just look at his technique; I'm real eager to learn."

Head coach Mike Singletary doesn't believe in players gaining or losing weight. He wants them to play in the body that best suits them, so Jean-Francois isn't eating any midnight PB and J sandwiches. In fact, he says staying stout against the double team and a bulldozing fullback isn't his problem.

"My footwork for the pass rush is the hardest part," he said. "That's what I'm working on now."

Jean-Francois was the final player the 49ers chose in last year's draft, and he spend most of last season on the inactive list. He emerged from LSU as a sometimes dominating player who exhibited inconsistent effort.

But following Franklin could be Jean-Francois's ticket to making the team and grabbing playing time. Even if it means only following Franklin virtually.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | March 31 2010 at 05:23 PM

What to do with Mr. Brooks?

When the 49ers hone in on scouting outside linebackers at the NFL combine beauty pageant this week, one question will float in the back of their minds. What do you do with Ahmad Brooks?

This past season Brooks transformed from a frequently-released inactivated player to a legitimate pass rusher. Six sacks in limited duty once coaches converted him from inside linebacker and realized that he was far better from a three-point stance. Now Brooks is a restricted free agent and the 49ers have to figure out what to pay him and for how long.

Brooks has made this type of transformation before. At Virginia he had a monster sophomore season and then succumbed to injury and was eventually booted off the team. While waiting for the 2006 supplemental draft, he ballooned to 290 pounds. Once drafted by the Bengals in the third round, he once again blossomed into a fine middle linebacker. But then injuries struck and Brooks was accused of punching a woman in the face.

The Bengals cut him as part of their sweep to get rid of a bevy of troubled and previously arrested players. The 49ers eagerly plucked him off waivers on Aug. 30, 2008, but initially, Brooks didn't impress.

In fact the 49ers cut him for a week during the 2008 season and the promise of him getting activated for a game that year never transpired. That changed this year.

"Ahmad came to us as an inside linebacker, not really a rush guy,"49ers coach Mike Singletary said in December. "But you begin to see the skill, the speed, the ability to come off the edge, and you go, 'Wow, we need to do something different here.' And, you put him on the outside and you think that might be the fit."

Once he got acclimated to pass rushing, Brooks, again, blossomed. He dominated against the Cardinals on a Monday night, sacking Kurt Warner three times and hitting him on two other occasions. Maybe Warner's retirement was partially prompted by not having to face Brooks twice a year.

But as a free agent, what do the 49ers pay him, particularly with his checkered history of mishandling success? Also Brooks dearly wants to start, but will he really supplant Parys Haralson or Manny Lawson, who are both terrific against the run? And if he doesn't start, will that frustration once again release his inner demons?

The answer maybe to pay Brooks the first-round tender of $2.51 million. That will scare of potential suitors who would have to pay Brooks a multi-year contract and relinquish a first-round pick to free him from the 49ers. The 49ers would then have another year to develop him as a pass rusher and see how he handles the 2.5 and the probability of just being a pass rush specialist.

That way the 49ers can examine the pass-rushing class at the combine, with one less pesky question roaming around in their domes.

SHOULD THE 49ERS BE ON ROLLE?: Word out of Arizona is that the Cardinals aren't going to pay safety Antrelle Rolle his $4 million roster bonus and will cut him instead. The former cornerback isn't a great tackler but as his 10 interceptions over the past two season can attest, he can cover and he likes to ball hawk. Should the 49ers go after him?

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | February 22 2010 at 02:29 PM

Melvin Oliver Released

Sorry about the repeating sentences in the last post. I'm not sure what happened, but it's been fixed up. In more important news, the 49ers called to say they'd released Melvin Oliver, a sixth-round choice from the '06 draft.

Oliver started 14 games his rookie season and then blew out his knee during last season's spring workouts. The team said it wanted to give Oliver a chance to hook on with another team so that's why the 49ers released him now.

The team also had to make room for rookie linebacker Larry Grant after signing him last week.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | July 15 2008 at 10:44 AM

D-Line Discussion

Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula put a camera at the line of scrimmage during the last minicamp to better assess his players. The camera allows Tomsula to see who has the best jump and the quickest hands. A sprinters jump allows a pass rusher to get up field and into the back field in a flash. Quick hands allow a nose tackle to get his hands on the center right after the snap, when the center only has one hand to fend off the hard-charging nose.

The quickest pair of hands on the line might belong to Ron Fields and is a major reason he's switching from defensive end to nose tackle. Isaac Sopoaga will play more defensive end next year, because he's so quick off the ball. At 330 pounds, Sopoaga is just as quick at the snap as Tully Banta-Cain, who weighs 270. The switch of Fields to nose tackle and Sopoaga to defensive end could make a difference this year in the all-important line play.

Another prospect to keep an eye on during organized team activity practices and in training camp is rookie free agent pass-rusher Louis Holmes. He had a little trouble at Arizona with anger issues and he was arrested for laying out a patron, who took a swing at him first, at a Scottsdale night club. He's been ordered to two stints of anger management classes.

Also, after two years of superlative play at Mesa Junior College in Arizona, Holmes failed to flash as an Arizona Wildcat. But the man's physical skills are nearly unparalleled. He's 6-6, 265, with a devastatingly quick first step. He's also raw and might be too immature to handle the NFL.

NO INTEREST: Even though the 49ers took a flyer on Holmes, they're not interested in the troubled castoffs from the Bengals - linebacker Odell Thurman and wide receiver Chris Henry. Both would cost significantly more than Holmes and so far, both have been unable to handle the NFL's big stage.

Henry has been involved in several incidents, including having marijuana in his shoes and lately for breaking a car window with a bottle and then punching the person inside. He's already been suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell for eight games last year and might have to serve more after last month's punching incident. He's just as explosive on the field. He scored on a 52-yard scoring pass at Candlestick Park last December. Read More 'D-Line Discussion' »

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | May 21 2008 at 03:35 PM

Laying Down the Lawson

With so many posts about Manny Lawson, it should be noted that the 49ers thought he would be a pass rusher when they chose him two years ago with the 22nd overall pick. In fact, some in the organization thought he might be a 12-sack-a-year man. Instead what they discovered was he was too light and his strides were too long to effectively pass rush. He was given the opportunity to be a pass rusher, he just didn't take to it.

Even in the first two games of last year, before Lawson tore a knee ligament in practice, he was used almost exclusively in coverage. I believe I had him down for rushing twice in the game against Arizona.

Certainly, the 49ers will take another look at him as a pass rusher in training camp. He has shown flashes - his two sack, two pressure game against St. Louis for example in his rookie year - but he's not likely to get a long look.

If you include Lawson, as someone already noted, the 49ers have six outside pass rushers with Roderick Green, Tully Banta-Cain, Brandon Moore, Parys Haralson and Jay Moore. So if Lawson doesn't show some pass-rush skills, he might be relegated once again to a coverage linebacker and the team's nickel backer along with Patrick Willis on passing downs.

General manager Scot McCloughan said the team has enough pass rushers and doesn't necessarily need to draft one and he has a point. Unless a can't miss pass rusher is there, the 49ers would have to release someone.

There was also a discussion about who's faster Shawne Merriman or Lawson. Lawson is probably faster, but can't match Merriman for quickness and explosion and that's what's needed in a pass rusher.

Read More 'Laying Down the Lawson' »

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | April 08 2008 at 12:07 AM

A Little of This, a Little of That

Spitblood has laid down an intriguing challenge - Pick the 49ers first-day draft picks for fun and prizes, the top prize being a smokeless ash tray. No, we will think of something else for the top prize. Who's interested?

The latest Pro Football Weekly had three anonymous takes from NFL football people on the tampering charge leveled against the 49ers.

"... league wide observers agree that the tampering penalty doesn't reflect well on new Niners GM Scot McCloughan, who is under major pressure to oversee the Niners' transition back to being a respectable organization."

"How many teams get caught for tampering? ... The worst part was being embarrassed by the league."

"What the Bears did to the 49ers was disrespectful and low class. They did not have to treat it the way they did."

Bryant Young hasn't completely closed the door on retirement. He hasn't filed his papers with the league yet. He's also engaging in plenty of team activities including the annual ski event last weekend. Young has also spent some time at the team facility lately.

But can he stomach another year of disappointment? Young said at the end of the season that it was too tough for him mentally to go through another losing campaign.

Tully Banta-Cain won a charity GoKart race in the HP parking lot Sunday in a benefit for the Loneliest Road Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. Nearly all the celebrities were 49ers or former 49ers.

Jeff Ulbrich, Young, J.J. Stokes, Keena Turner and former 49ers fullback and current Raiders running backs coach Tom Rathman all took part. Banta-Cain had an unfair advantage, he said he raced GoKarts twice a week at a little track in New England when he was with the Patriots.

Ulbrich made the biggest splash with his daring driving. He sent himself and others careening into the barrier.

"Well, I'm the best athlete out here," Ulbrich announced in a bit of trash talk.

"Hey, whatever," Banta-Cain shot back.

Later, Young said that Ulbrich was driving "dirty."

All the players and former players had a blast.

"It was a lot of fun," Banta-Cain said. "It's a great cause and it needs some publicity."

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | April 06 2008 at 11:32 PM

As To Justin Smith

StonerLab suggested that Wednesday's comparison between Justin Smith and Marques Douglas was incomplete and that a full comparison of their entire careers would be the best predictor of what they do in the future. Agreed. But all I had kicking around the house were two dusty tapes from last year.

Some of you questioned why the comparison between Smith and Douglas? Why not Smith and Bryant Young for example?

Smith and Douglas played the same position, albeit in different defenses - the right defensive-end spot. And each player notched similar statistics last year and both have seven seasons of accredited NFL service.

Comparing Douglas, who functioned mainly in a 3-4 and Smith in a 4-3 is a legitimate gripe. Douglas did move around the defensive line constantly last year and he went over the center often on passing downs. But most of his pass rushes came against the left tackle and almost all of Smith's did in the games that were reviewed, so they were fairly easy to compare.

Another reason for the comparison was Douglas always seemed to be underrated. He was a free-agent from a small school (Howard) who got cut a couple times and then spent time on the Ravens' practice. He also has a bad NFL body - little muscle definition and a big boiler that he affectionally called his "Power Pack."

Conversely, Smith was dominant at a Big 12 school (Mizzou) and was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 draft and he very much looks like an NFL defensive end. So not to go Billy Beane on anyone, but I thought maybe the biases for Smith and against Douglas made Smith a prized free agent while Douglas was an after thought even though both players might not be that much different.

But after concentrating on both over two games, it seems that Smith is clearly the better player and that statistics such as tackles, sacks and stuffs mean little when looking at how a defensive end can impact a game.

So the next question to ponder about these two: Is Smith $18 million or so in guaranteed money better than Douglas? Check back in December.

Allforfunnplay brought up good points about Smith's role in the 3-4 as a stout run player and menace for offensive linemen wanting to get to the linebackers. Mike Nolan has called his 3-4 linemen mudders and grinders for their unglamorous roles. But just because they don't get a lot of sacks doesn't mean their talents aren't highly valuable. The starting defensive line for the Pats are all former top-round draft picks (Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork).

Also in the last analysis I did focus too much on pass rush. As far as being a stout, hold-the-point player, Smith far exceeds Douglas.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | April 03 2008 at 12:06 AM

Douglas Vs. Smith Continued

A debate began on March 6 about the relative merits of defensive end Justin Smith, who signed an six-year, $45 million deal with $20 million guaranteed, and Marques Douglas, who signed a four-year deal with the Buccaneers at a fraction of that amount.

Both had similar 2007 numbers with Smith making 78 tackles, two stuffs (tackles on running backs for a loss) and two sacks. Douglas had 72 tackles, 12 stuffs and three sacks. So why pay so much more for Smith?

After looking at the tape of the Dec. 15 Bengals-49ers game, it became obvious. Smith affected the game with his constant and timely pressures on quarterback Shaun Hill, while Douglas didn't pressure Carson Palmer at all. But the analysis was unfair to Douglas, who faced Bengals Pro Bowl left tackle Willie Anderson, while Smith dueled Adam Snyder - an injury replacement for Jonas Jennings.

So how about comparing Douglas and Smith against the same player in the same stadium, All-Pro Seahawks tackle Walter Jones at Seattle's Qwest Field?

Again, this analysis slants somewhat towards Smith. The Bengals lost a tight 24-21 game to Seattle, while the 49ers offense did Douglas no favors in a 24-0 loss in which the 49ers recorded a franchise-low six first downs.

Nevertheless, even with the skewed games, it's clear that Smith is the better player, no matter what the stats say.

Douglas simply couldn't get through Jones to pressure Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, not even once. He seemed more intent on covering the flat and peeling away from Jones to make a downfield tackle.

Smith had his problems with Jones, but he was able to bull rush him, and wheel him back into Hasselbeck. It's clear after watching two games that Smith is stronger and more athletic than Douglas. Smith proved it in the Seattle game by covering tight end Will Heller on one play. Heller couldn't run away from Smith on a flat route and Smith tackled him after he caught a 2-yard pass.

Read More 'Douglas Vs. Smith Continued' »

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | April 02 2008 at 12:33 AM

Douglas vs. Smith

Marques Douglas stands 6-feet, 2-inches weighs 292 pounds, and will be 31 years old on March 15.

Justin Smith is 6-4, weighs 282 pounds and will be 28 on Sept. 30. Both players are seven-year veterans of the NFL. Last year, Douglas made 72 tackles, three sacks and 12 stuffs, which are tackles for losses. Smith had 78 tackles, two sacks and two stuffs.

Both are hard-working players who have leadership skills.

Recently, Smith signed a six-year, $45 million deal with $20 million guaranteed with the 49ers. Douglas wasn't offered a firm deal by the 49ers and the initial wave of free agency passed Douglas by. He's still a free agent. When he does sign, it will probably be for less than half than what the 49ers guaranteed to Smith.

So the question is this: Is Justin Smith worth an estimated $12 million more than Marques Douglas even though their statistics are similar?

For the answer, the tape of the Dec. 14 49ers-Bengals game was scoured for a further comparison of the two defensive ends and here are the conclusions:

Smith: He played in all 67 snaps on defense, 66 coming as the Bengals right end. In the official statistics he was credited with 5 tackles.

In all those plays, Smith was never knocked down, and he never tripped over other linemen. The only time he left his feet was to make tackles, and that included times when guard Larry Allen slammed into him while pulling on a run play. It was as if Smith was made of bricks.

While he didn't sack quarterback Shaun Hill on the night, he was constantly in the pocket, particularly in the first half. Hill got rid of the ball quickly all night. If Hill had taken any deeper than a five-step drop, Smith would have sacked him three or four times. Within three seconds on passing downs, Smith was wheeling left tackle Adam Snyder into the backfield.

On run plays, Smith consistently held the edge and he was quick in pursuit in plays away from him.

His horse collar of Frank Gore during a play in the fourth quarter was probably the best tackle of the night. Gore cutback and Smith quickly torqued his body to throw himself in front of Gore. He stopped him dead in his tracks on a night when Gore carried tacklers so regularly they looked like tin cans on a "Just Married" sedan.

Smith also made the defensive play of the night for Cincinnati. On 4th-and-3 from the Bengals' 24, Smith powered past Snyder and was an eyelash shy from sacking Hill when Allen push him away at the last second. Nevertheless, with a man made of bricks flashing in front of him, Hill fired the ball early to rookie wide receiver Jason Hill, who couldn't handle the pass.

At times, Smith did tire, particularly in the third quarter and he plays so aggressively, he'd often get fooled by play-action. But overall, his play was impressive.

Smith is also likely to be fresher with the 49ers, who will spell him with their defensive-line rotation.

Douglas: First of all, there's no way Douglas is 292 pounds. He was dwarfed by left tackle Levi Brown, who's listed at 309.

The difference between Douglas's pass rush and run play in this game was dramatic. He never got closer than a yard to Carson Palmer; at times he seemed listless and resigned in his rushes. Douglas tried to put moves on the tackle, but by the time he did, the play was half over.

On third-and-long, Douglas moved over the center, but didn't get pass rush there either. Having him in the game in pass-rush situations was an example of how badly the team lacks pass rushers.

Mike Nolan once said that Douglas will probably weigh 250 once he leaves the game, and he plays like a puffed-up linebacker. He's quick off his blocks on run downs and really has a sense for where the play is going. His vision is tremendous on run downs and he keeps offensive linemen off him with his hands and arms.

You can tell he really studies. Twice, he signaled to the secondary that a pass was going to the left side and he was right both times (he does that often).

He made some good stops on run downs, but didn't have anywhere close to the impact that Smith had. They play two very different games, with Smith using his strength (he was throwing 325-pound Adam Snyder around at times) and Douglas using quickness, guile and hustle. Douglas was credited with four tackles but played about 25 players fewer than Smith. But Smith's game was more impactful.

Nevertheless, Douglas obviously has value and the 49ers would benefit from signing him back.

Considering that teams over pay in the first few days of free agency, this game proved that Smith was worth the inflated price tag. A play-by-play summation of both players is included the next two blog posts.

Posted By: Kevin Lynch (Email) | March 06 2008 at 05:11 PM