Unexpectedly, 49ers are once again in line to draft a big man

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, April 23, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

San Francisco 49ers
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Somehow, in one year, San Francisco's line went from being offensive to opponents to being offensive to the 49ers themselves. In the flip of a switch – or the flippin’ switch of offensive coordinators – the Niners’ front five went on a nosedive, going from a position of strength to one of weakness.

Considering that unfortunate turn of events, it’s probably best that the team will have new starters at four of the five positions in 2008. And it probably would be even better if the 49ers added a big man in the first round of the NFL draft on Saturday.

No one really expected it to be this way, though.

The Niners entered 2007 with so much to be confident about up front. They were coming off a big year in which they had helped Frank Gore break out with a franchise-record 1,695 rushing yards and had yielded just 35 sacks. Jonas Jennings, Larry Allen, Eric Heitmann and Justin Smiley all returned, and first-round pick Joe Staley replaced Kwame Harris at right tackle. And the 49ers had tons of depth, with Harris, Adam Snyder, David Baas and Tony Wragge.

But, like just about everything else last season, the line fell apart and completely underachieved. Jennings was injured again, forcing Snyder to start 11 games at left tackle. Allen struggled with injuries, too, and the 49ers failed to continue their offensive improvement. They rushed for just 1,477 yards – sixth fewest in the league – and gave up a league-high 55 sacks.

Now Smiley and Harris are gone – as coach Mike Nolan and general manager Scot McCloughan had planned all along – and the 36-year-old Allen probably won’t return either. Staley and Jennings have switched spots, with Staley at left tackle and Jennings on the right side. Snyder will replace Allen, and Baas will take over for Smiley. The only guy who will be in the same spot is Heitmann. And the reserves are not nearly as good, with Wragge being joined by Jeb Terry and Qasim Mitchell.

While Staley, Snyder, Heitmann and Baas all seem like solid placements, the shaky health of Jennings and the weakened depth means the 49ers might be well served to grab a lineman with the 29th pick overall.

The top options appear to be USC tackle Sam Baker, Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus and Virginia guard Branden Albert.

The scouting report on Cherilus, a 6-foot-6, 314-pound giant from Haiti, is that he is a mobile run blocker who seems to project well as a right tackle. Baker – 6-4 and 309 – also is a quick player who makes up for his lack of power with good balance and leverage. Albert wouldn’t help the 49ers’ right tackle spot, but he could move the versatile Snyder back to his role as the top backup, where he surely would see tons of action in place of Jennings at right tackle.

No matter who or how the 49ers add to their line, it certainly will look a lot different than the 2007 version. And the addition of line coach Chris Foerster should help.

The former Baltimore O-line guide, a 16-year NFL coaching veteran, was brought in to assist longtime line coach George Warhop. While Warhop will handle run blocking, Foerster will deal with pass blocking, which was the bigger weakness in 2007.

And the 49ers are hoping that all of those moves – along with the ones they might make Saturday – will flip on the switch that somehow was flipped off last year and make the line one of the team’s strengths again.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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