San Francisco 49ers Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 2013 NFL Draft takes place on April 25th, the 3 days of drafting will shape franchises for years to come. Some players will become stars, some will become busts, some will surprise and some will disappoint. The NFL Draft is one of the biggest events on the NFL Calendar and there is certainly a lot of intrigue as we lead up to the main event. Of course this is the San Francisco Sports Cave so I am gonna take a look at some of the 49ers draft needs and which players the 49ers might be looking at. Overall the 49ers have 15 picks in this years draft, and with multiple big contracts looming in the coming years, being able to draft effectively is going to be key for the 49ers to remain towards the top of the NFL.

49ers Position Needs and Potential Targets
Defense
What is very interesting is that the 49ers have been known for their stout defense, but this time around the 49ers have multiple needs on the defensive side.

Safety: The departure of Dashon Goldson in Free Agency and the decline in performance from Donte Whitner makes Safety arguably priority number 1 for the 49ers heading in to the draft. The 49ers hold the 31st, 34th and and 61st picks within the first 2 rounds. I am making an absolute guarantee that with one of those picks (or via a trade) the 49ers will draft a Safety in either round 1 or 2. In my opinion, some of the main Safety prospects the 49ers will focus on will be Jonathan Cyprien (Florida International) and Matt Elam (Florida). Addressing this position early is vital, I don't think any of us 49er fans will forget Joe Flacco torching Whitner and Goldson on all of those deep passes in the Superbowl.

Note: The 49ers did sign Free Agent Craig Dahl, but he in my opinion is definitely a backup talent but may see time in Nickel or Dime packages.

MATT ELAM COULD BE SOMEONE THE 49ERS WOULD TARGET IN THE 2ND ROUND

Defensive Line: There are 2 reasons why defensive line is a huge need for the 49ers. 1- The 49ers lost valuable depth in Free Agency with Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean Francois gone. 2- We all saw how much the absence of Justin Smith effected the 49ers defense. While Justin will be ready to go for Training Camp, he will be turning 34 around the start of the Regular Season. This means he won't be at his high caliber for many years and also he is more likely to get injured and "dinged up" and miss time. With the now lack of depth the 49ers will need to address the defensive line. The 49ers could target Sylvester Williams (North Carolina) if he is available at the end of round 1, the one issue with him is the recent bust Kentwan Balmer played the same position and came from the same school. This may affect the 49ers thought process with Williams. Other potential prospects around the 49ers early picks which could be targeted are Kawann Short (Purdue) and Bennie Logan (LSU).

Note: The 49ers signed Glenn Dorsey who I think could blossom in San Francisco, however the need is still there and I expect the 49ers will add another D-Lineman early.

Offense
The 49ers starting offense is all but set in stone, the key for the 49ers will be acquiring key depth at certain positions.

ZACH ERTZ WOULD BE AN IDEAL PICK

Tight End: We all know how much the 49ers love using the pistol offense and 2 Tight End formations and the departure of Delanie Walker means there is a notable void. I don't believe Garrett Celek is ready to be that guy, with other teams Celek could be a number 2 TE but with the amount the 49ers utilize that position, expect an upgrade somewhat early in the draft. The ideal selection would be Zach Ertz (Stanford) with the 61st pick but it's very likely he will be gone by then. Another possibility could be Jordan Reed (Florida).


Backup QB: After Colin Kaepernick, the only other QB on the roster is Scott Tolzien, who looks solid in the pre-season but should be nothing more than the #3 QB option. Kaepernick is the Franchise QB but with the abundance of picks the 49ers have, it never hurts to have a very solid backup QB. Also with Jim Harbaugh's ability to develop and get the best out of QB's, it's possible the 49ers could develop the back up QB and the trade him to stock up on picks in a similar trade to Matt Schaub to Houston or Alex Smith to Kansas City. Some options the 49ers could look at in the 3rd round are Matt Scott (Arizona), Tyler Bray (Tennessee) or Tyler Wilson (Arkansas).

Lets not forget the 49ers also have two 3rd rounders, (74th and 93rd overall picks). The 49ers will have a lot of flexibility in being able to move and trade to get the players they want. This draft could really set the 49ers up for the next 5+ years and the 3 draft days in April and its success could cement Trent Baalke's reputation as being the top GM in the NFL.

That's it for now. Check back soon for more updates. Over and Out.

49ers Aim to Make Their Special Teams Special

By Kalen Patrick

In my opinion one of the biggest misconceptions of the 49ers is the fact that we have a dominating Special Teams unit. That may have been the case in 2011 with standout ST players like Blake Costanzo on the roster and David Akers being Mr. Automatic, but the 2012 version left a lot to be desired. It's a terrible sign when you feel incredibly uneasy about your kicker when the Field Goal attempt is less than 40 yards. Also all us 49er fans will remember the first play of the 2nd half in the Superbowl when the Baltimore Ravens returned the kickoff for a Touchdown.

THE 49ERS COVERAGE UNIT, NAMED "TONY MONTANA SQUAD"

PHIL DAWSON IS THE 49ERS NEWEST KICKER

There were many cases during the season where the Special Teams cost the team big, in particular the kicker. So what did 49ers GM Trent Baalke do? He only went out and signed the best Free Agent kicker and one of the better kickers of the last decade in Phil Dawson. Dawson has been overlooked and in obscurity due to the fact that he kicked for the consistently bad Cleveland Browns his entire career. Looking at the Numbers Dawson has been among the most consistent and accurate kickers in the league. While this is obviously a temporary solution at the position, you really can't do much better than Dawson. He has experience kicking in an outside stadium where weather conditions are hardly favorable. He will have to adjust to the wind at Candlestick Park, but that is something where his experience will prove invaluable.

Another one of the main areas of concern in my opinion was punt and kickoff coverage. Losing Blake Costanzo to the Chicago Bears in Free Agency in 2012 hurt, also trading Colin Jones to the Carolina Panthers just before the 2012 season also was a noticeable loss on the Special Teams unit. The 49ers have made an effort here by signing Dan Skuta from the Cincinnati Bengals. A standout Special Teams player who will be a vocal leader along with other members of the 49ers ST unit such as CJ Spillman and Tavares Gooden.

Ultimately I feel Trent Baalke and the 49ers have done a great job in addressing a significant weakness in the team with the additions of Dawson and Skuta. Lets not forget that most Special Team additions occur during the draft where the 49ers have a boatload of picks (14 in total).

Coming up on the SF Sports Cave: Gearing up for the SF Giants 2013 season, and a look at the 2013 NFL Draft.

Over and Out

Anquan Boldin to the 49ers

By Kalen Patrick

Today the 49ers have pulled off a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Anquan Boldin for a 2013 6th round draft pick (insert picture of smiling Colin Kaepernick). The 49ers had 2 draft picks, their own and also owned the Miami Dolphins 6th rounder too. I'm guessing the 49ers gave up the Dolphins pick (earlier pick) but the details have yet to be announced.

BOLDIN IS NOW A 49ER

So what does this move mean for the 49ers? Well for one, to me it confirms 100% that Randy Moss will not be back. It also means that currently injured Wide Receiver Mario Manningham will have to take a pay cut if he wants to remain on the roster.

The 49ers current Wide Receiver depth chart looks like: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams and AJ Jenkins. Now that is a very talented group of receivers, and when you throw in talents like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter, the 49ers and Colin Kaepernick are in a great position.

Specifically looking at this trade, I feel it is a very low risk/high reward trade for the 49ers. Anquan Boldin is a vocal veteran leader, amazing work ethic (someone AJ Jenkins can emulate) and still very productive. While Boldin does not provide much in terms of a speed threat, he is a big body receiver and very sure handed and can make plays after the catch. The 49ers hope and expect AJ Jenkins to be the deep threat they need. Ultimately, this is another great move by GM Trent Baalke, demonstrating why he is so highly regarded in NFL circles.

Over and Out

49ers - A Look Ahead (Defense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

Yesterday we analyzed what the 49ers may be looking at doing this offseason with the Offense. Today we will take a look at the Defense. Oddly enough, the 49ers defense which for years has clearly been superior to the Offense, faces more serious questions than the Offense. We will now take a look at the issues surrounding the 49ers Defense.

1. What to do with the secondary? Especially at Safety with Goldson and Whitner.
2. Aldon Smith playing too many snaps last season? Has the NFL "figured" him out?
3. Will Justin Smith come back 100%?
4. Is Patrick Willis overrated?

Secondary
In the Superbowl there is no question that the secondary was a major weakness that the Ravens exploited. Chris Culliver had the worst game of his career and was continuously picked on and beaten badly. I really do like Culliver's potential but perhaps he is not going to be the player we all hoped he would. Maybe I am being too critical, after all he is only a 2nd year player, and he had a rough week in the media leading up to the game (which was his own doing). I'd like to see him mature and really step up some more.

Carlos Rogers seems to get a bad rap among 49er fans but I think he played pretty solid this year. He is a good #3 CB despite being paid more like a #1 or #2 CB. I wonder if Vic Fangio and the 49ers will explore putting Rogers back on the outside instead of covering the slot receiver. In 2011, Rogers had his best year as a pro. Anquan Boldin made some incredible catches in the Superbowl despite very good coverage by Rogers. Tarrell Brown is another very good CB and I think he is definitely worth keeping long term.

BRINGING BACK DASHON GOLDSON SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE 49ERS

I feel Dashon Goldson is a player the 49ers must hold on to. Goldson makes plays with Interceptions, Forces Fumbles, makes big hits, is very durable, and his tackling has improved greatly. I think he should be priority #1 this offseason. As for Donte Whitner, if we can keep him at a very reduced salary I would do that, I like him as a vocal leader and in run support. However, I would like to see the 49ers draft a Safety in either rounds 1 or 2 and hopefully get playing time immediately.

Front 7
Moving away from the Secondary and focusing on the Front 7, I wonder if the NFL has figured out ways to seriously slow down Aldon Smith. I never realized how dependent Aldon was on Justin Smith until we saw how he played without the "Cowboy" beside him. Even with the return of Justin Smith in the Playoffs, Aldon just didn't look the same. I wonder if either the NFL has figured him out, or perhaps he is playing too many snaps? Maybe with fatigue and playing more in run support he loses that burst as the season goes on and on. Hopefully the return of Parys Haralson and if 2nd year man Darius Fleming can spell Aldon and keep him fresh and retain his explosiveness.

BOWMAN AND WILLIS FORM THE CORE OF A STRONG 49ERS DEFENSE

Justin Smith should and I believe will come back healthy as ever, my bigger concern than his Triceps would be his age. He has been very durable, that also means he has played a lot of snaps and I hope this first injury won't be a sign of things to come. Ricky Jean-Francois has done an admirable job when given the opportunity, but he is not the long term answer there. I wonder if the 49ers will focus on draft Justin Smith's replacement in round 1 or 2 this year? I sure hope there is a plan in place. The 49ers defensive performance dropped significantly when Justin Smith was out.

NaVorro Bowman is better than Patrick Willis. There I said it. I look forward to the back lash but I firmly believe this. Patrick Willis was incredible the first 3 years of his career, since then however I am far from impressed. Now don't get me wrong, he still plays at a very high level, but the expectations for Patrick Willis are sky high and he has not lived up to them as of late. I suspect NFL offenses have looked at ways to neutralize Patrick Willis, but the truly great players, especially at Inside LB, find ways to make plays all the time. He is a great player, but will not come even close to the all time great ILB's such as Ray Lewis and Mike Singletary. The 49ers are blessed to have two great ILB's in Willis and Bowman. I can't imagine many offenses running well against the 49ers consistently over the next 5 years.

The 49ers Defensive unit as a whole is very solid, but I would like to see Baalke focus on adding some more talent here early in the draft. Depending on the value available, I think going Safety in Round 1 and D-Line in round 2, or vice-versa would be the best way to go.

Coming in the next few days I will focus on the Alex Smith situation and finish up my "A Look Ahead" series with a close look at Special Teams. Until next time.

Over and Out.

49ers - A Look Ahead (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

I am still not, and probably never will be over the devastating loss in the Superbowl. No more perfect record in the "Big Dance", not hearing Colin Kaepernick utter the words "I'm going to Disneyland!" and so on and so forth. That is definitely the glass half empty look at the 49ers. However, I will be focusing on the positives. Imagine if 4 years ago I told you that the 49ers would make the NFC Championship Game and then the Superbowl in back to back years. You would have called me crazy. Back then I would have gladly accepted an 8-8 season. We have been spoiled so quickly. Now it's time to take a closer look at how I feel the 49ers will be approaching this offseason.

The Offense really doesn't need much tinkering with, some of the bigger question marks are:

1. How are Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham recovering from their injuries?
2. How well is AJ Jenkins progressing?
3. Will Delanie Walker return?
4. Who's the long term answer at Center?

THE 49ERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE AJ JENKINS MAKE SOME PLAYS IN THE REGULAR AND POST SEASON IN 2013

Both Williams and Manningham are young receivers, so I really don't question their ability to return 100% for the upcoming season. I would make an educated guess that AJ Jenkins got a serious wake up call when he didn't even catch a single pass as a 1st round rookie. I expect a bigger role for him in the 2013 season, but how big a role remains to be seen. How Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh handle the WR's in the offseason, whether through draft or free agency will go a long way in giving us a clearer answer to Questions 1 and 2.

Delanie Walker, I really have a love/hate relationship with him. I love his versatility, his ability to make plays and get open. I hate his knack for dropping passes/fumbling in crunch time and critical situations. I would like to see him back, but I feel another team lacking a receiving threat at TE will probably throw more money at him than the 49ers will. In this case I would be very happy drafting a TE somewhere between rounds 3-5 who is more sure handed.

49ERS OFFENSE IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH THEM

Jonathan Goodwin is a very solid Center and I honestly can't poke too many holes in his game. He gets the job done and has a good grasp of the Offense. The big question will come down to value. What does Goodwin think he is worth in comparison to what the 49ers think he is worth. I personally would love to have him back but it depends on the price tag. The 49ers have been grooming players like Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney for this role. It's also possible the 49ers draft a Center early and hope he can step in and perform well immediately.


Ultimately the 49ers are in very good shape going forward on the offensive side of the ball. Kaepernick is a young and incredibly talented QB who will benefit from a whole offseason as the starter, all the experience he gained last season and more playing time. The 49ers have a ton of young talent at the Offensive Line (Staley, Iupati, Boone and Davis), a bunch of talent at RB with Gore, Hunter, James and Miller. Kaepernick also has some real nice options in the passing game primarily with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. The return of Manningham and Williams, along with the development of Jenkins and possibly further offseason additions will only help significantly.

You may have noticed a lack of Alex Smith talk, don't worry, I will be going in to that in a whole other post. That about sums up the Offense. A Look Ahead Defense + Special Teams Edition will be coming soon.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Bills Recap

By Kalen Patrick

Last Sunday the 49ers probably played their most complete game of the Jim Harbaugh era, this may be hyperbole, but that may have been the most complete game in 49ers history. The 49ers thrashed the Bills by a score of 45-3. As much as I would love to go in to a deep analysis of the game, simply put the 49ers straight up dominated the Bills from start to finish. The 49ers set an NFL record for having over 300 yards of Passing AND Rushing.

From the get go, the 49ers passing game was in rhythm when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis on a deep pass for 53 yards on the opening drive which led to a David Akers Field Goal. All game long Alex Smith was hitting his targets, he had 2 very impressive passes for TD's to both Kyle Williams and Michael Crabtree. Not to be outdone by the impressive passing game, Frank Gore led the 49ers rushing attack which seemingly picked up huge chunks of yards with each carry.

49ERS KYLE WILLIAMS CELEBRATES AFTER SCORING A TD

All in all it was a dominating performance, one which I have not seen in a very long time if ever. Alex Smith finished with near perfect QB numbers, a 156.2 QB Rating and a 99.2 QBR, 3 TD's and 0 INT's. The Offensive Line showed why it may be the best in the NFL last Sunday too, 0 sacks allowed and in the run game the 49ers AVERAGED a staggering 8.2 Yards Per Carry. The total yards gained was the highest in franchise history, yes, above anything that the Joe Montana or Steve Young led 49ers ever had in a single game.

This video contains all the 49er Highlights from last Sundays game: 49ers vs Bills Highlights

ALEX SMITH LED THE 49ERS TO THEIR BIGGEST OFFENSIVE GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

Looking at the defense, it is just amazing how dominant it has become, only 3 points allowed in the previous 2 games and 10 points allowed in the previous 10 quarters. The combined scores of the last 2 games is 79-3 (you think they took that loss to Minnesota personally perhaps?) It really is near impossible to play better over a span of 2 games. A player to watch on the defense going forward is CB Chris Culliver, 2nd year man out of South Carolina. He had an INT on Sunday and I could absolutely see him being the 49ers #1 CB going forward. He is commonly lined up against the other teams #1 Receiver and always does a very solid job.

This Sunday the 49ers will play host to the New York Giants and will be looking for redemption for the NFC Championship game back in January. You know that Kyle Williams has had this day marked on his calendar since the schedule came out, I look for him to be very involved and have a real solid game. I will have a much more thorough Preview of the 49ers vs Giants game coming up before Sunday.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Jets Recap and Week 5 Preview

By Kalen Patrick

Week 4 turned out to be a walk in the park for the 49ers with a comfortable 34-0 win over the New York Jets. I don't want to spend too much time on this considering it was such a slaughter. Some of the things I really liked in particular was the 49ers ability to rush the passer. Aldon Smith was back creating havoc in the backfield, and over all credit has to go to the guys up front and Vic Fangio. Not to mention guys like Tarrell Brown, Carlos Rogers and Chris Culliver shut down the Jets receivers. The play of the entire game for me was on a deep Mark Sanchez pass to Santonio Holmes that Dashon Goldson swatted away at the last second. That was beautiful.

Offensively the 49ers did what the 49ers do and that is run the football well. Gaining nice chunks of yards every time it seemed. Colin Kaepernick had some big runs and scored his 1st career TD. The one big concern for the 49ers is Alex Smith's ability to hit the deep passes to anyone not named Vernon Davis. I remember 2-3 times Manningham had beat his man and Smith had just about overthrown him each time. Overall the score was 34-0 and it easily could have been 48-0. Sorry Jets fans. That game was ugly.

THE 49ERS DEFENSE SMOTHERED MARK SANCHEZ AND THE JETS

Week 5 the 49ers will welcome the Buffalo Bills to Candlestick Park. The Bills are coming off a crushing loss where they gave up 45 2nd half points to the Patriots. The 49ers have had only 1 home game so far (a win against the Lions) so it will be rocking in Candlestick come Sunday. I do like the 49ers chances in this game. The Bills defense is shaky at best and all the money invested in Mario Williams has not paid off so far. I expect Alex Smith to have consistent time back to throw and the 49ers should be able to run the ball and control the clock. I want to see Alex Smith make some nice passes down the field, if he can start hitting those consistently than I found it very difficult to name more than 3-4 teams who could beat the 49ers.

JIM HARBAUGH NEEDS ALEX SMITH TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE AS HIS WR'S

The Bills love the big play, CJ Spiller has been hitting huge runs all season long. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not afraid to throw the football into tight coverage. He is prone to mistakes but can make some very nice throws too when given the time. I think an underrated match up will be Willis/Bowman in coverage vs TE Scott Chandler who is having a good season so far. The Bills mix it up a lot with the dink and dunk passes and try to use their speed to make big plays out of it, with both Stevie Johnson and CJ Spiller expected to get a lot of short passes thrown their way.

I have confidence the 49ers defense will be able to contain the Bills and the offense should be more than capable of putting up enough points for the 49ers to come away with a win. As usual I hate predicting the score but if I had to guess I'm gonna go with something along the lines of 27-17 in favor of the 49ers.

Over and Out.

Week 4: 49ers vs Jets Preview

By Kalen Patrick

One of the better games this week will be taking place in East Rutherford, NJ when the 49ers (2-1) take on the Jets (2-1). The 49ers are coming off a bad loss to the Vikings, while the Jets won a dramatic game over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. The 49ers are looking to bounce back from their loss, while the Jets are anxious to show they can win without their star CB Darrelle Revis. This being the SF Sports Cave I will being focusing on what the 49ers can and need to do in order to leave week 4 with a Win and head back to SF with a 3-1 record.

I think the biggest thing the 49ers will need to improve upon is their Pass Rush. Last week against the Vikings the 49ers ran what seemed to me, to be a very basic defense. I rarely saw any Safety or CB blitzes, I felt that the ILB's Willis and Bowman were blitzed sparingly. It is not a matter of just blitzing extra players, it's more keeping the opposing offense off balance and not knowing what to expect. Blitz Dashon Goldson and make Aldon Smith drop back in coverage for example. Just mix it up is what I'm saying. Mark Sanchez has shown that he will force some throws when under pressure. The 49ers have to make sure to get to him early and rattle him and shake his confidence.

THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN THE JETS AND 49ERS (2008) WAS A 24-14 VICTORY FOR SF

The 49ers were able to get some late, almost meaningless turnovers against the Vikings last week, but this week, they need to be able to turn the ball over early and get a lead. We know that the 49ers will be able to stop the run and I really don't see many threats in the Jets backfield that will beat the 49ers defense. It's a matter of getting a good, consistent pass rush. What I'm trying to say is that I want to see the 49ers defense that rattled Drew Brees and Eli Manning and not the one that let Christian Ponder pass and run all over them.

On offense, I think the 49ers really have to stick to what they do best, run the ball with Frank Gore and then hit the Jets on short/intermediate passes and occasionally take a shot down the field. I wanna see much more of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter this week, get Brandon Jacobs in there too to get some tough yards. If I were the 49ers I would go with mostly Gore in the 1st quarter. Then hit the Jets with Hunter and Jacobs in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, when the defense is weak and been pushed around all day, go with Gore again and get those big chunks of yards.

49ERS OFFENSE LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK AFTER A WEEK IN YOUNGSTOWN, OH

I really love how well Crabtree is doing this year, I would just like to see the 49ers take some shots down the field to Moss and Ginn Jr so they can make the defense respect the deep pass, which will naturally open up Crabtree, Manningham and Vernon up on the intermediate routes. Also as I mentioned earlier Darrelle Revis is OUT so you have to take advantage of that and put the pressure on the Jets defense. Especially at home, there is no way the Jets are going to be an easy game and this could very well become a slugfest.

If I had to guess I would say the 49ers do win, but it will be a very close game. Something along the lines of 27-24. I just can't imagine any scenario where Jim Harbaugh will allow his players to play and coaches to coach like they did against Minnesota last week. Let's see if the 49ers can get back on track this Sunday.

Over and Out.

Week 3 Recap of 49ers vs Vikings

By Kalen Patrick

The San Francisco 49ers suffer their 1st loss of the season to the Minnesota Vikings today by the score of 24-13. One of the things I heard throughout this game was that the Vikings were beating the 49ers by playing the 49ers style of football. This is something I could not agree more with. Besides for the Kyle Williams return, the Vikings soundly beat the 49ers in all 3 phases of the game. In my opinion this was the worst overall game the 49ers have played under Jim Harbaugh. The key to the Vikings win was their 3 touchdown drives, each of which went for 80+ yards on the highly regarded 49ers defense. I do want to give the entire Minnesota Vikings team props for their sound beating of the 49ers. There is no doubt they deserved to win the game.

JIM HARBAUGH WAS NOT A HAPPY MAN TODAY IN MINNESOTA

Lets now discuss some of the reasons why I feel the 49ers were beaten badly today.

1. ZERO Pass Rush - It seemed that for the vast majority of the game the 49ers simply rushed their front  four (Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald) and they rarely got near Ponder. There was little to no variety in the blitzes, very rarely did I see guys like Aldon Smith drop into coverage and see blitzing LB's or Safeties. I don't know if Fangio just put too much faith in his front four to get pressure or what, but what I do know is that he was definitely out-coached by Vikings OC Bill Musgrave. I would love to see some major changes in the blitz packages in the coming game against the Jets.
2. Lack of Frank Gore - The Vikings opened up the game with an exhausting drive, then it seemed like the 49ers reacted (panicked?) and they went Pass, Pass, Pass. Almost immediately the 49ers went away from what they do best, which is run the football, and then hit on short/intermediate passes off the play action. Frank Gore had only 6 rushes in the entire 1st half. This is simply unacceptable. The 49ers made themselves 1-dimensional (which is usually what the 49ers FORCE other teams to do). For most of the game the 49ers just didn't run the ball and the Vikings were able to tee off on the pass. 



ALEX SMITH IN ACTION AGAINST THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS

3. Defense couldn't make THE stop - At halftime the score was 17-3, then quickly the 49ers made the score 17-13, Kyle Williams return set up a David Akers FG, then Minnesota had a 3 and out, followed by a 49ers TD drive. ALL the momentum was with the 49ers. Then what happened? Oh just an 80 yard TD drive that ended with a one handed catch by Kyle Rudolph in the endzone. Not only is it terrible to give up the TD, but a LONG drawn out time consuming drive is just a killer. Suddenly it's back to a 2 score game and it's around the 4th quarter. That was the stop the defense needed to make, not even a 3 and out, just a stop. Of course, the reason why they couldn't stop the Vikings was largely due to point #1, in addition to the defense never being able to stop the short dump off passes to Percy Harvin and others. The following 49ers drive resulted in a Frank Gore fumble, the defense kept them in the game after that, but the entire 4th quarter was filled with harmless turnover prone offense.

Ultimately it was a really poor and sloppy performance by the 49ers and I really want to chalk this one up as one of those games that every good team has at some point during the season. Me trying to be as optimistic as possible, I will look at this as a "kick in the ass" game and maybe get the players working extra hard and not taking any game or play for granted.

Week 4 against the Jets is going to be a slugfest. Neither team is really capable of putting up huge offensive numbers and the defenses will most likely control the game. I'd like to see the 49ers become much more creative with their defense, and on the offensive side, maybe take more chances down the field. I'm not saying abandon what we have been doing, but you have to adapt in the NFL or else other teams will catch up. One thing I do know is that Jim Harbaugh is gonna make sure the 49ers are better prepared for next weeks game. I expect to see quite a few new wrinkles to the offense in particular.

Over and Out.

Recap of 49ers vs Lions

By Kalen Patrick

In a very convincing manner, the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 27-19. If you had read my Preview for the game I had predicted a 27-17 victory for the Niners so I would say I wasn't too far off. Similar to the Packers game, I feel the score was a lot closer than the actual game. Stafford lead a late desperate TD drive to bring the score a whole lot closer. Literally from start to finish I feel the 49ers were comfortably in control. Alex Smith finished off the opening drive with a great over the shoulder pass to Vernon Davis for a Touchdown. That opening drive was incredibly impressive. The teams went back and forth, the Lions made the score 7-6 after Kendall Hunter fumbled the return after the Lions first Field Goal.

LED BY ALEX SMITH, THE 49ERS OFFENSE IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Not long after, 49ers RB Frank Gore burst in for a 1 yard TD run, a drive that started with a Dashon Goldson INT, followed by 2 key penalties against the Lions (running in to the kicker, and then Defensive PI in the endzone). The score was 14-6 and from then on out the Lions never really got any closer. The 49ers closed it out in the 4th quarter when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis again, this time, Vernon made some nice moves to get in the end zone.

Some of the key things I want to mention is that Alex Smith was incredibly impressive yet again. For the 2nd straight game he threw for 2 TD's without an interception. He was 20-31, and if you look at the tape of his 11 incomplete passes, I remember 5 of them being very poor drops by the receivers and another 2 being "catchable" balls. For example, when Alex Smith passes to Vernon deep and he couldn't hold on. Despite all of this, after week 2, Alex Smith has the #2 QB Rating in the NFL and is showing yet again, hit ability to not turn the ball over, but is making more plays with the improved weapons he has.

ANOTHER BIG GAME FOR 49ERS TE VERNON DAVIS

The 49ers did an excellent job at exploiting weaknesses in the Detroit defense and they were able to run the ball with relative ease. It seemed like every time Gore got the ball he got big chunks of yards (5.2 YPC) and Hunter although seeing limited action did a good job too (4.6 YPC), the 49ers gashed the Lions in the run game and out gained them 148 - 82 yards. Obviously Vernon Davis had a great game, and for the 2nd week in a row, Michael Crabtree made his presence felt. He was key down the stretch picking up multiple 1st downs and keeping the ball out of Matt Staffords hands.

DASHON GOLDSON HAD A POLAMALU TYPE GAME

Overall the defense yet again had another very good game, you know your run defense is amazing when you feel the Lions ran well, and then you look at their stats and they averaged only 3.2 YPC. In pass defense the 49ers played a lot of Cover 2, and I have to credit the Secondary for doing a great job, especially Dashon Goldson who seemed to be every where. Not only did he pick off Stafford but he did an excellent job in run support, covering a lot of ground and making some big stops for the defense.

The Lions O-Line did a great job in stifling the pass rush, Stafford seemingly had a lot of time to throw back there. The nickel front four (Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald) really didn't have their best game. And even then, Aldon Smith had 2 sacks and essentially made the Lions pass game look average at best. This defense is legit and it's going to be hard for any team to score on them consistently.

Anyways, another very convincing victory for the 49ers, and rightfully sit atop my updated Power Rankings which can be viewed on the side bar. Check back for a preview of the Week 3 match up when the 49ers take on the Vikings in Minnesota.

Over and Out.

Week 2: 49ers vs Lions Preview

By Kalen Patrick

Two years ago this would have been one of the least anticipated games of the week, fast forward to 2012 and this is now a marquee match-up as we get week 2 in to full swing. Both teams are coming off wins from Week 1, the Detroit Lions escaped their home opener with a sloppy win against the lowly Rams, while the 49ers entered Lambeau Field and dominated the Green Bay Packers. There are going to be some very intriguing match ups in this game, with the abundance of talented football players on both teams. Here are some key battles that will be taking place:

49ers Offensive Line vs Lions Defensive Line
The latest injury report for the game has the Detroit Lions likely to be missing 3 of their 4 starters in the secondary. Safety Louis Delmas and CB Chris Houston are Doubtful, while CB Bill Bentley has been ruled out. We saw what Alex Smith was able to do against a more talented secondary in Green Bay (20-26 211 Yards 2 TD and 0 INT, 125.6 QB Rating), if he (Smith) gets ample time in the pocket, the 49ers now have the talent at WR to really exploit the Lions weak secondary. Smith is looking extremely comfortable in the 49ers offense now, even getting sacked 4 times last Sunday he never looked out of rhythm. Alex Smith is playing at a level we have never seen from him, he has (including playoffs) attempted 241 consecutive passes without an Interception.

LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP ENDED IN A DRAMATIC 49ER VICTORY

The Lions D-Line has a very tough challenge ahead of themselves, they can't count on their coverage to bail them out on passing plays, they will also have the unenviable task of trying to shut down the 49ers run game. They should expect Frank Gore early in the game, then a lot of Kendall Hunter in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, and just as they are getting worn down, I'd expect the 49ers to use a heavy dose of Gore again to pick up good consistent chunks of yards in the 4th quarter.

Suh, Fairley and Corey Williams will have be at the top of their game to allow edge rushers Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch wreak havoc on the outside. Even if they do pressure Smith a lot, he has shown the ability to take the sack rather than force a throw into coverage. Jim Harbaugh has no problems with this and trusts his defense to win him the game. The Lions D-Line will need to have an A+ type game for 60 minutes.

Matthew Stafford vs 49ers Pass Rush
In Week 1 vs the Rams Stafford threw 3 INT's in the game and the Lions still won. If he does that against the 49ers, I give the Lions 0.01% a chance of victory, and that is only because anything is possible in Football. The 49ers run defense is so good and the Lions have a serious lack of talent at RB, that this game is going to be on the shoulders of Matt Stafford. However, the 49ers Pass Rush has been relentless since Vic Fangio became the Defensive Co-ordinator, and you can bet guys like Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are licking their chops at all the long developing passing plays the Lions incorporate into their offense.

WILL THERE BE ANY POST-GAME DRAMA THIS TIME?

Stafford is going to be making throws with pressure in his face, and if they Lions want to have any chance at winning, they better hope those passes end up in the hands of guys like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson. Ultimately, we all know that Calvin Johnson is going to get his catches and yards, and maybe even a TD or two, but the game will come down to the "other" guys making plays for the Lions. Along with the Lions D-Line having the game of their lives.

I think that with the game being in San Francisco, on a most likely cold and windy Sunday Night at Candlestick, I like the 49ers chances of coming away with a victory. I hate guessing scores, but if I had to I would say the 49ers win 27-17. The 49ers are just too complete of a team, too talented and playing at such a high level, that it will be incredibly difficult for ANY team to win in San Francisco on a night game. We all remember what the 49ers did to the Steelers on Monday Night Football last year. That's it for now, check back Monday or Tuesday for an in-depth recap of the game.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Packers Week 1 Recap

By Kalen Patrick

The San Francisco 49ers left Lambeau Field with a BIG 30-22 win to open up the 2012 Season. In my opinion, this was the most impressive win of Jim Harbaugh's tenure as the 49ers Head Coach. To go in to Green Bay and beat Aaron Rodgers is one of the most, (if not the most) difficult thing to do in the NFL today. The 49ers beat the Packers from start to finish on both sides of the ball. Lets take a closer look at the game.

To me the game ball should go to 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman. The whole game the 49ers were able to find great mismatches and called the right plays at the right time. Of course, so much credit needs to go to the players who pulled off the plays with excellent execution and precision. The plays that stood out to me were:

1. Randy Moss' Touchdown Reception. Green Bay was weak defending the middle of the field, and especially more so when Desmond Bishop went down with injury. The 49ers motioned Delanie Walker right before the snap, confusing the coverage down the middle and left Randy Moss wide open for an easy TD Reception. 
2. 4:40 left in 2nd quarter, Alex Smith pass to Mario Manningham for 11 yard completion for 1st down. The 49ers motioned Bruce Miller out to the far right leaving Manningham in the slot. This motion caused Green Bay to put a CB on Bruce Miller, leaving a slow LB on Manningham, which resulted in an easy 1st down completion. 
3. 18 seconds left in the 1st half, bring in Kaepernick for a design run play. In a potentially pivotal moment of the game, the 49ers go with Colin Kaepernick, catches the defense off guard and picks up 17 yards and puts the 49ers in position to score at the end of the 1st half.

ALEX SMITH AND RANDY MOSS CONNECT FOR A TD

These are just some examples of how the 49ers exploited the Green Bay defense. Alex Smith finished the game with a 125.6 QB rating, going 20/26 and throwing for 211 yards with 2 TD's 0 INT's. Smith looked comfortable throughout the entire game despite taking 4 sacks. The 49ers also gashed the Packers for 186 rushing yards with 5.8 YPC. Gore did the most damage getting 112 yards on 16 carries with a TD, and seemingly always picking up big chunks of yards each and every time he had the ball. In summary, Greg Roman and the 49ers offense made Dom Capers Green Bay defense look pretty bad.

TARELL BROWN DENIES JAMES JONES

The 49ers defense did a great job on Aaron Rodgers all day long and only gave up 14 points to the Green Bay offense (Packers scored a TD on a punt return, obviously the defense isn't at fault for that). The 49ers shut down the Packers run game from the get go. The only real rushing yards the Packers got was when Rodgers had to scramble. NaVorro Bowman picked off Aaron Rodgers once and the defense had 3 sacks on Rodgers which is very difficult considering his ability to release the ball so quickly. I have to give 2 specific players shout outs:

1. NaVorro Bowman - Not only did Bowman pick off Rodgers at an extremely pivotal moment of the game, but he was also EVERYWHERE on the field. Bowman lead the 49ers with 11 tackles and had 2 more defended passes. He was sensational the entire game and in my opinion has emerged as the best Linebacker for the 49ers. Yes, you read that right. 
2. Tarrell Brown - Brown has turned in to a shut down corner, and never was this more evident than when Brown denied James Jones on a deep pass from Aaron Rodgers that would have put the Packers within the 49ers 5 yard line. In man to man coverage Brown was lock down all game long, the only times I saw him get "beat" were in zone coverage when the 49ers were only rushing 3. Chris Culliver and the rest of the 49ers secondary deserve an honorable mention too.

ALEX SMITH AND AARON RODGERS MEET IN MIDFIELD

The 49ers did what many football experts considered the impossible and took a game from Green Bay at Lambeau Field. This was a complete win in all 3 phases of the game (really harsh take up the flag when Anthony Dixon got clearly blocked from behind on the return that lead to a Packers TD). On to week 2 where the 49ers face another big challenge when they host Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. Go Niners!


Next on the SF Sports Cave: 49ers vs Lions Preview. Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants race to the playoffs.

Over and Out

49ers - Ready or Not (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

Exactly 1 week from right now the 49ers season will officially be underway, being an avid 49er fan I'd love nothing more than coming away from Green Bay with a 'W'. It's gonna be a great well fought game no doubt about it and despite it being week 1 I expect a very well played game (assuming the replacement refs don't stop that from happening.) The 49ers have their 53 man roster in the books so let's take a look at some of the players who are Ready and some who are Not.

Ready - Alex Smith QB - You know that the 49ers starting QB is more than ready to go when he doesn't need much playing time in preseason to look in regular season form. Of course Alex Smith is heavily scrutinized being a former #1 Overall Pick, but just let these numbers sink in and you will know Alex Smith is ready: From the 2009-2011 seasons (40 starts including playoffs) Alex Smith has 54 TD's to only 17 INT's. Alex Smith has NOT thrown an Interception in his last 7 starts and he has a total of 215 pass attempts in those games. He has never been more ready for a season in his life. And I haven't even mentioned all the weapons the 49ers have added this offseason (oh wait.....)

ALEX SMITH IS READY FOR THE 2012 SEASON - ARE YOU?

Not - Colin Kaepernick QB - I really loved the job Kaepernick did in the preseason this year and it is obvious that he is progressing and developing as an NFL QB. I still believe that Kaepernick will not be launching his attack on Alex Smith for 49ers starting QB until next year. The excellent job Colin did in the preseason bodes well for the 49ers moving forward knowing they have a good QB developing well. He has all the tools to be an excellent QB going forward, big arm, mobility and accuracy but he will need to develop further in his ability to read complex defenses, know when to use his mobility as an asset rather than liability. He is getting there, and the future looks bright for Mr. Kaepernick.

Ready - Michael Crabtree WR - This is the first time in his NFL Career that Michael Crabtree will have been able to work out extensively. Of course we all remember his rookie season holdout and last season's NFL lockout. Add in that in all his years in the NFL he has had foot issues that have kept him out of Training Camps and preseason games. Every year Crabtree has progressed in both catches and yards, 48-625 in 2009, 55-741 in 2010 and 72-874 last year. I think 2012 could be the year when Michael finally eclipses 1000 yards and I'd like to see him haul in at least 7 TD's. The situation and offense is perfect for a receiver with Crabtree's skill set and experience.

MICHAEL CRABTREE IS READY FOR THE PRIME TIME

Not - AJ Jenkins WR - While I believe that Jenkins won't have much of an impact in his rookie year, don't take that as a knock against him or against Baalke for drafting him in the 1st round. This season in the first in many that the 49ers have good-great depth at WR. Jenkins was drafted more to be a big contributor in a year or two down the line. He is definitely a raw player, will need a year of seasoning to be able to get the offense down, to be able to read defensive schemes to adjust routes accordingly and of course his route running abilities can be improved upon. I can see he and Crabtree being the 49ers 1 and 2 receivers going forward for a long time.

That was the Offense Edition for my 'Ready or Not' Column in part of my 49ers preview for the 2012 NFL Season. Check back for my Defense Edition of 'Ready or Not'.

Over and Out.

My Take on the 49ers 53 Man Roster

By Kalen Patrick

It is the time of year that players on the bubble of making a team fear the most. Competition is fierce in each and every play of practice. Some of these guys know this could be their last Training Camp, some of these guys will be in different parts of the country playing for different teams. Here at the Sports Cave we focus particularly on San Francisco Bay Area Teams. So lets now go ahead and I will give you guys a preview of what MY 49ers 53 man roster would look like.

OFFENSE (25)
QB - Alex Smith
        Colin Kaepernick
        Scott Tolzien

ALEX SMITH LEADING THE 49ERS HUDDLE

RB - Frank Gore
        Kendall Hunter
        LaMichael James
        Brandon Jacobs
FB -  Bruce Miller

WR - Michael Crabtree
         Mario Manningham
         Randy Moss
         Ted Ginn Jr
         Kyle Williams
         AJ Jenkins

TE - Vernon Davis
        Delanie Walker

OL - Joe Staley-Mike Iupati-Jonathan Goodwin-Alex Boone-Anthony Davis
         Jason Slowey-Leonard Davis-Chase Beeler-Daniel Kilgore

The Offense is very difficult when it comes down to the final cuts, some hard decisions for sure. The 49ers have a lot of depth at RB and WR, I managed to get in all of the offensive playmakers including Ted Ginn Jr who will primarily be the Returner for the 49ers. The hardest part is the Offensive Line, there is a lot of depth at the interior of the Line, should anything happen to any of the Guards or Center we are covered well. If Joe Staley or Anthony Davis go down, then Boone can take their spot and either Leonard Davis, Daniel Kilgore or Slowey can take Boone's spot.

DEFENSE (25)

THE 49ERS VAUNTED DEFENSE

DL - Ray McDonald-Isaac Sopoaga-Justin Smith
        Demarcus Dobbs-Ricky Jean Francois-Ian Williams-Will Tukuafu

LB - Ahmad Brooks-Patrick Willis-NaVorro Bowman-Aldon Smith
        Larry Grant-Parys Haralson-Tavares Gooden-Eric Bakhtiari

CB - Carlos Rogers                      S - Dashon Goldson
        Tarell Brown                             Donte Whitner
        Chris Culliver                            Trenton Robinson
        Perrish Cox                              CJ Spillman
        Tramaine Brock                        Colin Jones


The 49ers defense is stacked. All 11 starters return, plus there is great depth essentially all over the defense. Safety depth is a little worrying and most of the backups here are Special Team stars (Spillman and Jones in particular). Hard to beat the depth and talent at DL, LB and CB.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
K - David Akers
P - Andy Lee
LS - Brian Jennings

Notes: Rookie LB Darius Fleming will be on IR. Rookies Cam Johnson, Chris Owusu and Joe Looney to the Practice Squad, along with 2nd year TE Konrad Reuland. Demarcus Dobbs versatility allows the 49ers to get away with only 2 TE's on the 53 man roster. Very solid team top to bottom and that about sums it up.

Over and Out.

49ers - Texans, Who to Watch

By Kalen Patrick

A week ago I talked about which players to keep an eye on for the 1st preseason game. I'm going to essentially be doing the same thing for tomorrow's game against the Texans. Typically with Preseason it is the 2nd and 3rd games where you get to see a little more from the team, not only this, but you get to see the guys who are fighting to make the 53 man roster push it to the limit. So here are the guys to watch.

Eric Bakhtiari OLB/DE - Bakhtiari has been the talk of 49ers Training Camp so far. With the injuries to Aldon Smith and with Ahmad Brooks and Parys Haralson seeing only limited time so far, Bakhtiari has made the most of his opportunities. With 2 sacks in game 1 against the Vikings, look for him to be going all out in game 2 to continue his impressive offseason. Keep in mind that not only is Bakhtiari fighting for a spot on the very talented 49ers defense, but he is also on display for the entire NFL to watch. There will be another team ready to snatch him up should he not make the 49ers roster.

49ERS OLB ERIC BAKHTIARI - MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

AJ Jenkins WR - Jenkins has definitely had his ups and downs early in his 49ers career, and the same could be said for his performance against the Vikings. Jenkins had 2 nice catches and 2 bad drops, so I would definitely love to see some more consistency out of AJ. One of his strengths is definitely his speed so I would like to see him use that and maybe make a big play.

ALEX SMITH QB 49ERS 

Demarcus Dobbs TE/DL - Up to their tricks again the 49ers have tried using Dobbs on the offensive side of the ball at TE. With the injury to Delanie Walker at Training during 49ers FanFest and with Nate Byham out for the season, this is the perfect chance for Dobbs to prove his worth and earn a spot on the roster.



Alex Smith QB - Everything I have heard about Alex's performance in Training Camp has been very positive, I saw for myself at FanFest and I believe Alex was definitely the most impressive QB. I am looking for him to play the entire 1st quarter, I really don't care about stats or whatever, I'm just looking to see him have command of the offense, make smart decisions, and above all I would love to see accuracy and consistency on the deeper passes.

These are the guys I will be watching in particular, Overall I really don't put too much stock in to preseason games with regards to players who basically have their starting positions locked down. It's in the backup position battles where you see the real good stuff.

49ers - Vikings, What to Watch for

By Kalen Patrick

FOOTBALL IS BACK! The 49ers open up the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday at 5PM  Pacific Time. I am never one to care about the scores in preseason games, I much prefer to focus on how certain individual players perform. I am going to compile a list of players that I will be focusing on and I will explain why.

49ERS QB - COLIN KAEPERNICK

1. Alex Boone RG - Boone is currently leading the competition for the starting RG spot, this will be his first chance to prove this when he takes on an opponents D-Line. The Vikings have a pair of very good linemen in Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. If Boone can do a good job on Friday it will help his chances of earning that starting spot. Guards Leonard Davis and rookie Joe Looney will be eager to prove themselves, Boone cannot take this competition lightly.

2. Colin Kaepernick QB - It has already been laid out that Alex Smith is the unquestioned starter, however, Smith does have a history of shoulder injuries and at any time Kaepernick could be asked to come in and play. In the NFL you need to have a good backup QB so that you're season isn't completely over if your starter goes down (Colts 2011 are an example of what not to do). I am very interested to see the progression of Kaepernick having a year in the offense, last preseason he was a disaster, but with a strike shortened offseason and Kaepernick being a very raw player that was to be expected.

3. Aldon Smith OLB/DE - We all know what Aldon Smith is capable of doing when rushing the passer, he is a beast and is already at the cusp of being an elite pass rusher. What makes me want to focus on Aldon is that I expect Vic Fangio to try and get Aldon to focus on his coverage skills and run stopping skills to make him a better all-round player. This way Aldon with his immense talent can see the field a lot more on 1st and 2nd down.

49ERS HC - JIM HARBAUGH HAS FAITH IN ROOKIE WR AJ JENKINS

4. A.J. Jenkins WR - The rookie WR was receiving not only footballs but a fair amount of criticism when he first started taking the field at mini-camps and OTA's. Said to have been out of shape, not catching on as quickly as anticipated, Jenkins is out to prove all his doubters wrong. Unlike last year, the 49ers have quality depth at WR with Crabtree, Manningham and Moss. Jenkins is in a fierce battle with Kyle Williams and Ted Ginn Jr at WR. Lets not forget that Jenkins is a 1st round WR, he has a lot to prove to show he was worthy of the 30th overall pick. Harbaugh has already put it out there that Jenkins is a quality player who can contribute now, lets see if AJ can back that up on the field.

49ers Sign Leonard Davis

By Kalen Patrick

Today the 49ers signed Free Agent OG Leonard "Big" Davis to a 1 year contract. In my opinion Davis will end up being the primary backup at both OG positions for Mike Iupati (LG) and Alex Boone (RG). Sure we will probably get the usual speech about how he is competing for a starting job, but if the 49ers did intend to start Davis they probably would have brought him in sooner to get the playbook down. I do think he makes an excellent backup option as you basically have to expect a lineman or two to go down throughout the season. I am a little worried about the 49ers depth at OT however.

49ERS NEW OG - LEONARD DAVIS

With the 49ers being such a run heavy team I think this definitely plays in to Davis' hands as I don't think too highly of him as a pass blocker.  I think he is a backup option at best so in that capacity I think this was a very solid signing for the 49ers. Keep an eye out for "Big" when Roman + Harbaugh decide to bring him in on those incredibly important 3rd/4th and 1 situations along with goal line plays too. With his size and power he should be able to move some defensive linemen out of the way for the RB's. 


As for the 49ers OL depth, expect them to maybe look in to the veteran Free Agent market at some point during Training Camp for competition as the backup OT option.


Over and Out.

49ers Training Camp Battles

By Kalen Patrick

Of course there will be many battles going on for the 49ers at many positions, but to me, the two most intriguing competitions will be at RB and WR. Long have these positions been one of weakness for the 49ers, especially when you wanna look at the depth at these spots. It suddenly seems that the 49ers are stacked at both RB and WR and there could very well be some tough cuts prior to week 1 vs the Green Bay Packers.

49ERS RB - KENDALL HUNTER

At RB, of course Frank Gore has held down that spot for the last 6 years or so, but now he has some fierce young competition. Kendall Hunter was the primary backup to Gore last season and showed flashes of quality running. However, I don't really ever envision Hunter becoming a full-time, carry the load type RB, more complementary if anything.

Where the strongest competition will be ultimately coming from will be rookie RB LaMichael James. It may take James a little while to get acclimated to the intricacies of the position (knowing blocking schemes, adjusting to audibles etc.) but going forward I see James and Hunter splitting a lot of time at RB. I think Gore holds down the spot for this season, but don't be too surprised if the 49ers look at interest around the league for Gore's services. (No disrespect to Gore, I love him and everything he has done, but with his injury history and the short shelf life of RB's, he realistically doesn't have more than 1-2 more productive years left.)

Sticking with RB but more for the bruiser type RB is another interesting competition between Brandon Jacobs and Anthony Dixon. Jacobs has experience on his side, being a 2 time Superbowl Champion, he also has proven himself in the role and can be very effective. While experience is a plus it also plays in to Dixon's favor too. He can feed off Jacobs' experience, learn a few things from him, and with youth on his side he will no doubt give Jacobs a run for his money.

Lets turn our attention to WR now. The 49ers looked for Crabtree to be the #1 WR but he has yet to fully claim that spot, and more handed that spot if anything. On a 53 man regular season roster, you expect a team to carry 5 WR's. The 49ers have Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, AJ Jenkins, Ted Ginn Jr and Kyle Williams. Of course that is 6 WR's right there, now the 49ers could decide to keep all 6, have 1 inactive on gameday and the other 5 ready to play. Ginn Jr would mostly be a returner and see little action at WR. Leaving Crabtree, Moss, Manningham and Jenkins as your top WR targets in my opinion.

49ERS WR - RANDY MOSS, LOOKS REJUVENATED IN HIS RETURN TO FOOTBALL

The tricky thing here is that Jenkins seems to be a more raw player, maybe not ready to contribute a whole lot immediately, but obviously being a 1st round pick there is no chance he would ever get cut any time soon. So it is definitely possible Jenkins could be the guy inactive on Gameday and Kyle Williams could get more time on the field.

Everything seems good IF 6 WR's are kept on the 53 man roster. If not, I expect there to be a very tough decision to come for the 49ers coaching staff. Ultimately, this is a good "problem" to have, what I mean is that should the 49ers return to the playoffs, we won't be trotting out Brett Swain or Joe Hastings on to the field like last year.

San Francisco 49ers Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 49ers have managed to bring back all 11 starters on a defense that is a top 3 defense in the NFL. Even the backups are extremely talented. The 49ers main focus needs to be on the offense early in the draft. The biggest weaknesses entering the draft are RG and WR. I really think that Alex and Pat did such a great job on their mock draft of identifying the 49ers needs and addressing them in the first 2 rounds. Alex Young & Pat Tulini Mock Draft

I think when it comes down to it, the 49ers need more consistency on offense, the best way of getting that done is staying in the same offense (check) QB returning (check) and then improve O-Line and Receivers. The 49ers  added Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to their receiver corp. 2 very solid additions, when you add in Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams it's a solid set of receivers. The one issue is that there are no clear #1 receivers among them, just a lot of #2's and #3's. I'd like to see the 49ers go for a luxury high risk high reward type WR in the draft.

I really like Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech, I think he can be a real good addition and possibly develop in to that #1 WR the 49ers have lacked since the trade of Terrell Owens. Going by the Mock Draft by my friends Alex and Pat, I think Brandon Brooks would be another great addition to the O-Line and could battle with Kilgore for the RG spot.

I full expect the 49ers to go WR and RG with their 1st and 2nd round picks, but I'm not sure which order they will do that. Through the rest of the draft, expect the 49ers to add depth at D-Line and Safety in particular. The draft is only 2 days away, I can't wait to see who the 49ers add. It's gonna be fun!

HAR-BOWL Review

By Kalen Patrick

Well after riding an 8 game winning streak, the 49ers finally got beat by the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. The Ravens stuffed the 49ers to win it 16-6 . While there is no doubt that the Ravens were definitely the superior team on the night, the game was actually very very close fought and one or two questionable calls against the 49ers really hurt them. The 49ers on a very short week having to travel across the country were already at a disadvantage so if they were to lose any game, this was going to be the one.

The 2 calls I mentioned were the chopping block by Frank Gore/Chilo Rachal on Alex Smith's 75 yard TD pass to Ted Ginn, and the 50 yard Pass Interference call on Tarrell Brown's Interception which gift wrapped another 3 points to the Ravens. Both of these calls were very harsh and hurt the 49ers big time. However bad calls will always happen in games and you must overcome them, unfortunately the 49ers could not do that this time around.

THE RAVENS SACKED ALEX SMITH 9 TIMES

One or two bad decisions hurt the 49ers even more, while in Field Goal range and the end of the half, Alex Smith attempted to hit Braylon Edwards in the endzone, which got picked off, and cost the 49ers 3 points when it was a 6-3 ballgame in favor of the Ravens. So while the Ravens did win, and it was somewhat of a convincing win for them, I have to look at the positives.

Short week, travel across the country, 2 big calls by the officials and one or two mistakes and the game could have a completely different outcome. Plus that Baltimore team was just firing on all cylinders, the defense played out of its mind. My hat goes off to the Ravens, they beat us and deserved to win.

49ers now have extra time to prepare for the Rams next Sunday in Candlestick Park. A win next Sunday would clinch the NFC West for the 49ers.