NFL: It's Still a Rebuilding Process with the San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49er head coach Mike Nolan is doing his best to shape his team into a future NFL powerhouse. His method is to rebuild the 49ers thru the draft and find role players via free agency that can quickly contribute to the team. Nolan Hopes that young players like quarterbacks Alex Smith and rookie tight end Vernon Davis can be the foundation for the future. In the NFC West division, Seahawks are the team to beat. It will be up to the Rams, Cardinals, and the 49ers to step up and give Seattle a major challenge. In 2005, San Francisco finished at the bottom of the division with a 4-12 record. Not much is expected from the 49ers in 2006, but we all know how NFL teams can go from worst to first in one season. Here is a look at San Fran’s unit for the upcoming 2006-2007 NFL season.

OFFENSE

Alex Smith is the undisputed starting quarterback for the 49ers. His rookie season was rough, but that is expected. It is also fair to say that he had no help from anyone on the offense. The addition of Norv Turner as the offensive coordinator will only help develop Smith into the quarterback the 49ers drafted. Former Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer offers a good safety net as the back-up.

In 2005, the 49ers offensive line gave up 48 sacks to opposing defenses. Clearly the O-line couldn’t keep any of their quarterbacks off the ground, so the team went out and picked up All-Pro Larry Allen from the Dallas Cowboys and Jonas Jennings from the Buffalo Bills. Allen may be way past his prime, but still possesses the ability to run and pass block as good as the rest.

It is to be determined who the starting running back will be when the season begins. As of right now, Kevin Barlowe has the job, but will need to prove that he deserves to keep it in the preseason. Back-up Frank Gore is not far behind in the race for the job. In 2005, Gore led the team in rushing with 608 yards. However, his off-season was spent rehabilitating shoulder injuries.