49ers’ nose bent out of shape but not broken

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, August 08, 2007  |  Comments( 8 )

San Francisco 49ers
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When two of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive linemen made a sandwich out of Aubrayo Franklin's left knee Monday, coach Mike Nolan probably was close to losing his own lunch.

After all, Franklin is the key to Nolan's plan to finally make a full-blown conversion to his favored 3-4 defensive scheme. When the nose tackle went down, Nolan was among the first guys out there to see if he was OK. Losing his new middle man would have made Nolan sick.

As it turned out, the 49ers' nose was bent out of shape but not broken. Franklin did nothing more than sprain his knee. While he will miss the preseason, it's not nearly as serious as the coach had feared.

"It's not as bad as it could have been," Nolan told reporters Tuesday. "Missing training camp doesn't get me excited. ... That's a disappointment, but it's not that bad."

Franklin, whom the 49ers signed from Baltimore during the offseason, already had missed time with a strained left elbow. And now he will be out until the season starts.

Franklin was not a standout in his first four years with the Ravens, but the 49ers view him as the ideal run-stopping, pocket-plugging nose man. Despite his inexperience, they were so eager to sign him that they gave him a three-year, $6 million contract on the first day of free agency.

Obviously, conditioning now becomes an issue for the 6-foot-1, 334-pound big man. He probably won't be up to full speed until October. Without him and even when he returns, the 49ers are going to have to count on Isaac Sopoaga, rookie Joe Cohen and Ron Fields to fill in at the position.

Sopoaga, a 6-2, 321-pound fourth-year player, becomes the No. 1 nose now. Cohen, a 6-2, 313-pound fourth-round pick from Florida, is the backup. Fields started two games at nose tackle late last season, so he has some experience in the 3-4 scheme.

Their play early in the season will be important as Franklin rounds back into form. Because if those guys can't anchor the middle, opposing offenses will continue to move the ball against the 49ers - as they have throughout Nolan's first two years. Last year, the 49ers gave up a league-high 412 points and were seventh in most yards allowed.

To avoid another such nosedive, the nose tackles need to hold their ground, and Franklin's health is key.

Daily San Francisco 49ers commentary, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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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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