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To put it simply – the San Francisco 49ers are loaded.
To their credit, they didn’t let their unlikely trip to the NFC Championship Game last season go to their heads.
They aggressively tried to improve their team this off-season, and it certainly looks like they did.
They clearly want to get more done through the air this year, and they added free agents Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, and first round pick A.J. Jenkins, to a receiving corps that already includes Michael Crabtree, and tight end Vernon Davis.
And they added Rex Ryan’s friend Brandon Jacobs to a backfield that already includes Frank Gore, the underrated Kendall Hunter and the team’s second round pick LaMichael James, an electrifying all-purpose back out of Oregon.
Wow – you talk about weapons, this team has a cornucopia of them.
But the big question is – can quarterback Alex Smith go from a player who was told not to lose the game last year, to a quarterback who can go out and win a game.
Clearly, with so many weapons at their disposal, the 49ers intend on taking the shackles off Smith.
Smith needs to do a better job in the red zone this year. The 49ers were underwhelming last year inside the opposing 20. The addition of the 6-5 Moss should be a boon to San Francisco’s red zone attack. From all accounts we heard about the 49ers spring practices, Moss hasn’t lost much from his halycon days.
If you think the 49ers are loaded with weapons on offense, their defense is also stacked.
The 49ers backup linebacking corps could start for some teams.
And starting group is the best in football.
The inside combo of Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman is the top 3-4 inside tandem in football.
2011 first round pick Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks (who just got a huge new contract), do a nice job coming off the edge.
The 49ers added two pretty good 3-4 pass OLB pass rushers in the draft with Notre Dame’s Darius Fleming and Virginia’s Cam Johnson.
And the defensive line, led by the maniacal Justin Smith (perhaps the best motor for defensive lineman in the league), does a nice job of keeping the linebackers clean to make plays.
The secondary is excellent as well. 49ers GM Trent Baalke (a former Jets’ scout), did a great job in free agency last year in the secondary, grabbing cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dante Whitner, and both moves worked out great. The 49ers added cornerback Perrish Cox in the off-season. If he can stay out of trouble, he’s a terrific talent.
Safety Dashon Goldson is the 49ers’ franchise player this year, so that shows you what they think of him.
So I think I’ve painted a pretty clear picture. The Jets are going to have their hands full in Week Four. This should be a heck of a game. If you are looking to buy a ticket to one game this year, this would be a good choice.
July 10, 2102
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