49ers’ 3-4 is only about three-quarters healthy

By Chris Cluff  |   Tuesday, September 04, 2007  |  Comments( 15 )

San Francisco 49ers
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It hasn't exactly been a smooth transition to a full-time 3-4 scheme for Mike Nolan's defense, which could mean a rough start to the season.

The San Francisco 49ers brought in 11 new defenders to make the 3-4 go, but they've already lost a number of them as injuries have hampered the team's defensive preparations and robbed the unit of the excellent depth it seemed to be building.

The big hits have come up front, where new nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin (knee) and veteran end Bryant Young (back) have missed most of the preseason. Backup Melvin Oliver (ACL) was lost for the season early as well, and then the 49ers took a bunch of hits in their final exhibition game. In that defeat to San Diego last weekend, rookies Jay Moore and Joe Cohen were lost for the season while Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson were dinged up, too.

Moore, a fourth-round pick who was supposed to back up Lawson, suffered a high ankle sprain and was put on injured reserve. Cohen, another fourth-round pick who was slated to help at nose tackle, tore his right ACL and will miss the season as well. Lawson and Haralson were not hurt as badly; Lawson, the team's 2006 first-round pick, received a concussion; Haralson, a fifth-round pick in 2006 who is a key reserve, had his nose broken.

The injuries have simply robbed the 49ers of people they hoped would help them this year as they try to improve a defense that was one of the league's worst in 2006. Oliver, Moore and Cohen are done (and end Sam Rayburn was cut), and Franklin, Young and Lawson won't be at 100 percent for the opener against Arizona. It all could spell trouble against a team with lots of offensive talent.

But it is not all gloom and doom for the 49ers' defense. While the injuries have hurt, Patrick Willis and Isaac Sopoaga have helped. Willis, the team's first-round pick, took Brandon Moore's starting gig a couple of weeks ago and will play alongside Derek Smith on the inside. Sopoaga stepped in for Franklin at nose tackle and held his ground, showing that he might be able to anchor the defense until Franklin gets completely healthy.

The 49ers will have to rely heavily on their secondary - the only healthy unit on the defense. Cornerbacks Nate Clements and Walt Harris had an up-and-down preseason, and they face a tough test out of the box against Arizona's top receiving pair of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. If the 49ers' banged-up front seven can't get any pressure on Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart, Clements and Harris will have problems.

But if Young and Franklin can contribute, Lawson (concussion) can think straight and new pass-rush specialist Tully Banta-Cain awakens (he had no sacks in the preseason), the 49ers might actually be able to overcome some of their injuries and put the hurt on the Cardinals instead.
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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: 15  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
lou		08:11 AM
09/04/2007
Sticking with the "it is all not gloom and doom" theme: Meliven Olliver was great last year in the 4/3 but may not have fit in...
No.2
Jack Meoff		12:17 PM
09/04/2007
Chris (glass half empty) Cluff, does someone really pay you for writing this crap? What a waste. If you can't write something...
No.3
ShadyRaider		12:35 PM
09/04/2007
Again, Not the right talent for a 3-4, sure the linebackers are good enough to run it, but a good 3-4 starts at the line and the...
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