San Francisco 49ers

NFL Previews - San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers team preview for the 2007 nfl football season. Our 2007 pro football preview covers all 32 teams to advise you on your NFL fantasy football draft, as well as to help you with your NFL betting online with our top sportsbooks. We can hardly wait for the 2007 NFL season to start. How bout it owners? Email me your thoughts.

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During a year in which 49er legend Jerry Rice was busy dancing with stars, San Francisco 49ers fans were finally seeing stars of their own by the end of the NFL's 2006 season.

While the club's fans may have been embarrassed by Rice's transition from the gridiron to the dance floor, there were growing cheers by the bay for the current group of 49ers.

Helped by the emergence of a star running back, the forward progress of a rising quarterback and the motivation dispensed from a classy coach, the 49ers took major strides last year toward returning to the postseason for the first time since 2002.

Highlights of the 2006 season included Frank Gore's record-setting performance out of the running back spot, a series sweep of the rival Seattle Seahawks, and the surprise emergence of cornerback Walt Harris.

However, there were lows. Despite Harris' playmaking ability, the 49ers defense was ranked near the bottom of the league (it was especially horrid against the pass) and late-season losses to the lowly Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals smothered any playoff chances.

So, the club went out and got better.

For the second straight year, the 49ers had a pair of first-round draft picks, and they again addressed both sides of the ball. In 2006, they grabbed tight end Vernon Davis and linebacker Manny Lawson in round one, while the 2007 first-round draft class includes linebacker Patrick Willis and offensive lineman Joe Staley.

What makes this offseason different and susceptible to high expectations is the free agent class. While the franchise made little ripples in the free agent waters in 2006, the Niners made a huge splash this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

It started with the signing of the big fish, cornerback Nate Clements, and also included safety Michael Lewis, defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and wide receiver Ashley Lelie. And while it wasn't a free agent signing per se, the 49ers did manage to pry away wide receiver Darrell Jackson from Seattle via trade.

Those upgrades, along with the returning talent guided by third-year head coach Mike Nolan, make winning the wide-open NFC West a realistic goal for the rising club.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the San Francisco 49ers, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Gore (1,695 rushing yards, 8 TD) exploded onto the scene last year and put his name in the club's history book. The 49ers took a bit of a risk when they handed Gore the starting job in just his second season, but the gamble paid off. Gore fell into the third round of the 2005 draft after a college career that included injuries to both knees, but with the injury risk came a lot of talent. One of those features shined brightly in 2006, and thankfully for the 49ers, it was his play on the field. The 5-foot-9, 223-pound back played in all 16 games last year and set franchise records in carries (312) and rushing yards, also leading the team with 61 catches, adding another 485 yards to his total yardage. However, due to his size and past injury history -- and the fact that he suffered a broken hand in this year's training camp -- the 49ers will look to lessen the load for Gore this year. That is where the club hopes Michael Robinson and Maurice Hicks will step in. Robinson (116 rushing yards, 2 TD) is the bigger of the two at 6-foot-1 and could spell Gore in short- yardage situations, a role he occupied for a bit as a rookie last year when Gore went through a brief phase of fumble-itis. Moran Norris (2 TD) will serve as the 49ers' fullback for a second straight season.

WR/TE: Another step in helping Smith's progression and to lessen Gore's duties was landing some weapons at the wideout spot to compliment the rising Davis (20 receptions, 3 TD). Mission accomplished, after the 49ers acquired Jackson (63 receptions, 10 TD with the Seahawks) from Seattle for a 2007 fourth-round draft pick and signed Lelie (28 receptions, 1 TD with the Falcons). The moves are not slam dunks, however. Jackson should immediately step in as the 49ers' number one receiver, but does come with some injury risk. Lelie, meanwhile, had just 430 receiving yards with the Falcons last year, a far cry from his 1,084-yard, seven-touchdown season with Denver in 2004. With the departure of troubled receiver Antonio Bryant (40 receptions, 3 TD) and steady tight end Eric Johnson (34 receptions, 2 TD), Smith will have just one familiar face to throw to in Arnaz Battle (59 receptions, 3 TD). Finally, the club injected some speed into its receiving squad when it took Washington State wideout Jason Hill in the third round of the draft. Vernon Davis put up good numbers as a rookie at the tight end spot last year despite missing time because of a broken leg. He needs to stay on the field this year, since Johnson left for New Orleans as a free agent. Billy Bajema will serve primarily as a blocking tight end.

OL: The 49ers have a very solid left side of the line, which is good for Smith and his blindside. Jonas Jennings locks down the left tackle spot and is looking to shake off injuries. He missed all but three games in 2005 due to a shoulder ailment, and missed a trio of games last year because of a variety of different injuries. Rookie Joe Staley is the other starting tackle, and will replace the underachieving but still backup-worthy Kwame Harris. Veteran Larry Allen will guard next to Jennings to complete the solid left side, while Justin Smiley provides good blocking at the right guard spot. Center and former guard Eric Heitmann played in 14 games last year before suffering a broken leg. Tony Wragge can play guard and center off the bench, and fellow backup Adam Snyder can also play a variety of different positions on the line to give the 49ers a group of interchangeable reserves.

DL: The 49ers will go with a 3-4 defense and brought in Franklin (17 tackles with the Ravens) to play the nose tackle spot. At 334 pounds, Franklin will help fill the gaps along the line and will be flanked by a pair of veterans in Bryant Young (52 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks) and Marques Douglas (61 tackles, 3 sacks). However, at 35, Young won't be able to play as many snaps as he has in the past, and the four-time Pro Bowl selection will need some breathers. Ronald Fields (28 tackles) will be the first off the bench while third-round pick Ray McDonald could also crack the rotation. Isaac Sopoaga (21 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks) will back Franklin.

LB: The Key to the 3-4 is the play and speed of the linebackers, and the Niners have a decent mix of experience and youth there. Lawson (57 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks) will patrol the outside along with Tully Banta-Cain (43 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks with New England). The 49ers signed Banta-Cain away from the Patriots after he posted a career-high in sacks last year. Brandon Moore (92 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks), Derek Smith (68 tackles) and Willis will compete for the two spots in the middle. Moore led the team in tackles last year, while Smith had offseason eye surgery to correct an ailment that bothered him for all of 2006. Willis will likely see a lot of time in the nickel defense as he builds experience. Jeff Ulbrich (64 tackles) will also back up the middle, while rookie Jay Moore, Hannibal Navies (18 tackles) and Parys Haralson (4 tackles) will backup the outside.

DB: Not content with just long-term building through the draft, the 49ers went out and signed Clements (70 tackles, 3 INT with the Bills) early in the offseason. Clements came at a hefty price tag, $80 million over eight years, but provides the Niners with a shutdown corner to compliment Walt Harris (60 tackles, 8 INT). Harris is coming off his first Pro Bowl season after tying for the NFC lead in interceptions. The 49ers shuffled through safeties last year, and hope they have shored up the position a bit with the signing of Michael Lewis (57 tackles, 2 INT with the Eagles), a hard hitter who sometimes struggles in coverage. Mark Roman (58 tackles, 1 INT) will be the other starting safety and will help cover some of Lewis' ground. Former starting corner Shawntae Spencer (61 tackles, 1 INT) will now shift to a backup role with Marcus Hudson (14 tackles), while Keith Lewis (76 tackles, 2 INT) backs up both safety spots.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Maurice Hicks (25.1 kick return avg.) will serve as the primary kick returner alongside Brandon Williams (23.8 kick return avg. 6.7 punt return average), who will return punts as well. Neither player is a game- breaker, and Williams didn't do much to improve the 49ers' field position a year ago. San Francisco also returns Joe Nedney (29-35 FG) and Andy Lee (44.8 avg) as kicker and punter respectively. Brian Jennings is an above-average long snapper.

PROGNOSIS: Because of their legacy and play last year, the 49ers will be a sexy pick to win the NFC West this year, and there is no reason to believe that won't come true. The top three squads in the division (the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks) are all solid but flawed, rendering the division wide open. San Francisco has upgraded on both sides of the ball, making them better than the 7-9 club of last year. However, as good as Gore was last year, the franchise will only go as far as Smith progresses this year. Gore won't be sneaking up -- or in his case running through -- defenses this year, putting some pressure on Smith. The defense, meanwhile, has nowhere to go but up this season. When all is said and done, expect the 49ers to return to the postseason as division champs.

WagerOnFootball.com - San Francisco 49ers Predictions

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