49ers are in good position for next few years

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, June 20, 2007  |  Comments( 11 )

San Francisco 49ers
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In two years, head coach Mike Nolan has turned the 49ers from a 2-14 pushover into a 7-9 troublemaker, and many view San Francisco as an ascending team ready to make a lot of trouble in 2007 and take the next step back into the playoffs.

The expectations for the 49ers are as high as they have been since 2002, when they last reached the postseason under Steve Mariucci. But what happens if they fall short of that goal this year? How many more chances will they have? How wide is their playoff window? Just what does the 49ers' future look like?

The short answer: Other than their front lines -- where they will have to address both defensive end spots, both guard spots and right tackle in 2008 -- the 49ers are set at pretty much every position for at least the next three seasons.

Here is the long answer, position by position:

Quarterback: Alex Smith is entering the third year of his six-year rookie contract, and he will have Trent Dilfer around to mentor him for at least two more seasons. Dilfer's deal runs out after 2008, but if the 49ers are contending for a Super Bowl by then, the California native surely will be interested in sticking around. As long as Smith takes steps forward, the quarterback position is set for at least the next four seasons.

Running back: Frank Gore signed a $28 million extension this offseason, so the 49ers will have their stud 24-year-old back at least through the 2011 season. Behind him, second-year backup Michael Robinson is signed through 2009, as is fullback Moran Norris. The 49ers should find out what they have in Robinson this season and be able to decide whether they need to re-sign Maurice Hicks in 2008 or acquire a different backup for Gore. Otherwise, as long as Gore can hold up, the running game is in good hands for the next five years.

Wide receiver: New No. 1 Darrell Jackson is signed for three more seasons, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him hold out for more money after Year 1 in San Francisco. That was the crux of his issues with the Seahawks. He surely views himself as grossly underpaid at $1.55 million in 2007, and he will probably want a contract extension next offseason -- even though he is slated to make $3.8 million in 2008 and $4.3 million in 2009.

Ashley Lelie was signed to a two-year deal in March, but it will be an upset if the first-round bust lasts more than one season with the 49ers. Even the receiver-poor Atlanta Falcons didn't think he was worth keeping around longer than one season.

Arnaz Battle is signed through 2009 at a little over $1 million per year, which is a reasonable price for a guy who has started 23 games over the past two years and is valuable as a No. 3 receiver or as a No. 2 in a pinch.

Rookie Jason Hill's first contract should take him through the 2010 season, by which time he should be well entrenched as a starter alongside Jackson or Battle or someone else.

Second-year hopeful Brandon Williams is inked through 2009, and Marcus Maxwell, a standout deep threat in NFL Europa this spring, is signed for two more seasons, as is veteran Bryan Gilmore.

In the final analysis, the 49ers have a lot of young potential at receiver and will have a much better idea of the future of the position after the 2007 season, when they'll have a good idea of whether Hill, Williams or Maxwell is going to contribute, whether Lelie is going to be worth keeping and whether Jackson is going to hold out.

Offensive line: The line will undergo some major changes soon -- whether it's this year or next. The team seems willing to let rising right guard Justin Smiley and underachieving right tackle Kwame Harris go, whether through trades before the 2007 season or as free agents in 2008. And 36-year-old left guard Larry Allen is probably in his final year with the team as well; the increasingly fragile veteran is also a free agent next year and might retire.

That means the 2008 line could feature three different starters than the 2007 version, with only left tackle Jonas Jennings and center Eric Heitmann manning the same spots in 2008.

Jennings signed a $36 million deal in 2005 and is slated to hold down the spot for the next five years, although he won't be around that long if he can't stay healthy.

Heitmann didn't make it through last season healthy either, suffering a broken leg in December; but he has become a reliable center and is signed for two more seasons.

First-round pick Joe Staley's future is unclear at this moment. He could usurp Harris at right tackle this year or back up both tackle spots. But by next year, Staley should have a starting gig, at right or left tackle, and keep it for at least the next five seasons.

The two guard spots should be in good hands in 2008 and beyond. David Baas, a little-used 2005 second-round pick, figures to replace Smiley, perhaps this year; and Adam Snyder, the team's most versatile lineman, will become a starter at some point, whether it's at left guard or one of the tackle spots. Like Jennings, Snyder is signed through 2011. Baas is inked through 2009. Also, Tony Wragge, who filled in at left guard and center last season, is around for at least two more seasons and could end up starting if Snyder has to play tackle.

Even if Allen, Smiley and Harris all leave in 2008, the 49ers have the players to fill the starting positions for at least the next two seasons. But if Jennings can't stay healthy, the depth the team currently enjoys will quickly disappear as Snyder, Staley and Wragge move into starting spots. If Jennings can stay healthy, the 49ers have a chance to develop the continuity up front that is key to any team's success.

Tight end: Vernon Davis, the team's top pick in 2006, figures to be the main tight end for at least the next four years. The team has major plans for him this year, and he will be expected to take big steps in his second season. With Eric Johnson gone, the 49ers are kind of thin behind Davis. Billy Bajema, the team's seventh-round pick from 2005, will be a restricted free agent next offseason, and the 49ers will need to re-sign him or add a better backup for Davis.

Defensive line: The ageless Bryant Young, 35, is going year to year these days. If the 49ers are able to cut down on the number of snaps he plays and continue to make strides (i.e., make the playoffs this year), Young might be up for one more season in 2008. But if Young retires after the 2007 season, which will be his 14th year with the 49ers, the left end position will be in the hands of Melvin Oliver, Ray McDonald and Ron Fields.

Oliver will miss the coming season with a knee injury, but he is signed through 2009. Fields, who also can fill in at nose tackle, is signed through 2008. McDonald, who is expected to back up Marques Douglas on the right side during his rookie campaign, probably will sign a four-year contract. And he could replace Douglas if the team doesn't re-sign him after the season. But if Young retires, the team almost surely will try to keep Douglas, especially now that it is actually running the 3-4 defense it signed him to play back in 2005.

Sam Rayburn, recently signed to a one-year deal to bolster depth, is a wild card who could be re-signed next year as well if he shows enough this season.

While the end spots have questionable futures, nose tackle should be well-manned for the next few years. Aubrayo Franklin signed a three-year deal this year to be the starter, and fourth-round pick Joe Cohen is signed through 2010. Isaac Sopoaga, the team's fourth-round pick in 2004, provides good depth. He will be a free agent in 2008, and the team might not need him if the coaches feel Franklin, Cohen and Fields have the middle covered. At any rate, the line looks good this season but could look quite a bit different next year.

Linebacker: This unit, which was one of the biggest weaknesses last season, could be a strength for years to come. Once first-round pick Patrick Willis wins the starting weak inside spot from veteran Derek Smith, the 49ers will be able to look forward to the same four starters for at least three seasons. Willis' rookie deal will take him through 2012; 2006 first-rounder Manny Lawson and five-year vet Brandon Moore are both signed through 2010; and free-agent addition Tully Banta-Cain is under contract through 2009.

The depth will remain as well, as Jeff Ulbrich and Parys Haralson are inked through 2009 and rookie Jay Moore is signed through 2010. Smith is signed for two more years, assuming the 32-year-old lasts that long.

Willis, Lawson and Moore are the keys to this unit and should make it good for the rest of the decade.

Secondary: The top three corners -- Nate Clements, Walt Harris and Shawntae Spencer -- are signed for at least two more seasons each. Harris signed a two-year contract this offseason, and by the time his deal runs out, rookie Tarell Brown might be ready to take his spot. Last September, Spencer signed a $17.5 million contract extension. The team's second-round pick in 2004, Spencer, is signed through 2012, although his salaries start to get more expensive ($2.85 million plus) in 2010. And, of course, Clements is in it for the long haul after signing a monster deal in the offseason. Although advertised at $80 million over eight years, Clements' real deal will be worth $52.8 million over six seasons.

Either way, the 49ers should be set on the corners for some time. Safety is a different matter. Even though Michael Lewis, Keith Lewis and Mark Roman are signed through 2009, there is no guarantee any of them will be there in two years. None of them are Pro Bowl material, and their performance this year will probably reveal just how much the 49ers could still use an upgrade at the position.

Special teams: The kicking game is set for at least the next three years. Kicker Joe Nedney, 34, signed a $6 million deal last year and is locked up through 2009. In March, the 49ers matched Pittsburgh's offer sheet to punter Andy Lee, keeping the three-year veteran with a six-year deal worth $7.1 million (through 2012). Long snapper Brian Jennings is under contract through 2009.

2008 key free agents: DE Bryant Young, DE Marques Douglas, OG Larry Allen, OG Justin Smiley, OT Kwame Harris, NT Isaac Sopoaga, LB Hannibal Navies, LB Roderick Green, DL Sam Rayburn, RB Maurice Hicks.

2009 key free agents: C Eric Heitmann, CB Walt Harris, QB Trent Dilfer, WR Ashley Lelie, OL Tony Wragge, LB Derek Smith.
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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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CommentsComments: 11  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
mike		08:31 AM
06/20/2007
Excellent article w/thorough info. THX to the writer, this will be saved for valuable reference. I feel good about the whole team...
No.2
Alex Correa		12:20 PM
06/20/2007
Really good article, very in depth. Can't wait till the season starts and we can see this research and the season in motion. Go...
No.3
Mad Mardigan		12:52 PM
06/20/2007
Best article I've seen in months. This one looks like it took a while to put together. I love this website, but damn, it's been a...
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