Chopra: Pre-Season Recap
by Vini Chopra, aka The Vin2005 Pre-Season Recap: We laughed, we cried, we got Alex Smith's autograph....
The leaves are starting to turn brown, the calendar has turned to September, and with that the NFL football season is finally here. For the 49ers, who are coming off of a disastrous 2-14 season that lead to a massive restructuring of the organization, a new season could not have come soon enough. But all football fans know that the season does not truly begin without the hard work and preparation that begins, for most teams, at the start of free agency in March. For the 49ers, the road to escaping the dreary shadows of 2004 began in January of 2005, with the selection of Mike Nolan as the new head coach to succeed Dennis Erickson, and what has resulted is a mixed bag of good and bad over the course of the pre-season. Here's a few notable observances and remembrances from the 2005 pre-season.
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Training Camp Galore:
Opening their facilities to the public for the first time in nearly a decade, the 49ers allowed fans to attend 15 training camps. And what a time this was. I was fortunate to attend each camp, from day 1 to the final days, and watched a young team start to grow and work into what you could call football shape. The first practice, as I remember watching on that Saturday July 30th was sluggish, slow paced, but filled with excitement as a large mob assimilated and greeted new QB Alex Smith. Of course, things improved over the course of the next 15 or so days and by the end of camp I could see standouts like Fred Amey emerging. Training camp is an instrumental component to building a successful season. While the 49ers certainly displayed the aura of a young, transitioning team they also displayed enthusiasm and attentiveness to detail, which will translate to the field in the regular season. And of course, no training camp remembrance would be complete without a shout out to the oh I don't know, thousands of fans who mobbed around Alex Smith, gave me permanent back pain for months, and got themselves an Alex Smith autograph to boot. Real men of genius.
The #1 Pick:
Probably the most feudal and enraged debate between 49er fans and even coaches in the organization was the quarterback situation. When the 49ers drafted Alex Smith, they made an investment to the future of the franchise. Pouring 54 million dollars into Smith may have benefits down the line, but clearly Smith did not play like he was ready to assume the mantle of the future and Tim Rattay proved that he is still the bridge between the future and now. Regardless, the Smith and Rattay debates were fun to participate in and discuss over the course of the past two months. And the battle for the #1 QB position, all throughout training camp, was one of the best aspects of being there. Smith has shown flashes and has steadily (if not slowly) improved over the course of the pre-season. During camp he came off as a shy but capable performer, and there is hope that he will one day be worthy of that #1 pick.
Tragedy Strikes:
The death of Thomas Herrion came suddenly and abrupt. The 49ers had just come off of a hard fought and eye opening loss to the Broncos. Herrion's death put things into perspective for many players and fans alike. The fact that Herrion fought through and died trying to play the game he loves and earn a spot on this roster illustrates the level of commitment and fortune that these young men have in pursuing this game. Throughout the season, the #72 decals on the 49ers helmets will not just serve to remember a fallen comrade, but those decals will also exemplify the heart and dedication every player must play with to truly be considered an NFL player.
The Sac State Surprise:
Honestly when I first saw Fred Amey during the first few days of practice I did not think too much of him. He wasn't overly tall, he didn't look blazingly fast, and he certainly did not send shockwaves of excitement when someone asked "who's that #18 guy?" But then something happened. It was probably the middle of the first week or maybe the second week of camp and this guy really caught on. PJ Fleck was the guy who, during the camps, seemed to hold the title of Mr. Effort. But Amey pushed him in that regard. Whether it was catching passes, running routes, or returning kicks, Fred Amey just looked polished and strong out there. He showed that in the pre-season and has since looked like a legitimate #4 WR. I'm looking forward to seeing his development this season.
Ken Dorsey's Regression, Cody Pickett's Rise:
When Ken Dorsey first entered the league I jumped for joy as I heard the 49ers call his name with the 241st pick in the 7th round. I mean, why not? He was a successful QB in college and arm strength is never a problem in the WCO right? Heck, even his first few games in his first pre-season went surprisingly well. But ever since then, Dorsey has been on a decline. This pre-season and training camp I was surprised to see him lethargically mope around and put less effort. Fortunately, Cody Pickett, another solid college QB, has risen his stakes while maybe not even playing QB. Pickett shows athleticism, arm strength, and versatility (yes, that's a QB running down kicks on special teams). Whereas Dorsey offers little in terms of physical intangibles, Pickett has plenty. And with the right development, he could push for that #3 role.
To o-line or not to o-line:
To say that the 49ers offensive line in 2004 was bad is an understatement. A real understatement. So what did they do? Move Kwame Harris, who looked lost at LT, over to his more natural RT position and sign Jonas Jennings, a solid LT from the Buffalo Bills. When Newberry was in the lineup during the Chargers game on Thursday this offensive line started to look mean, reactive, and actually gave Tim Rattay time. But there are so many questions that loom for this unit. For starters, will Newberry's knee, that holds no cartilage, hold up during the course of a 16 game season? Was the signing of Jonas Jennings enough? Can Justin Smiley, a 2nd year man, come out and play? The o-line has burning questions, but their solidification is the key to our offense.
The 3-4 Experiment:
Yes, I said the 3-4 experiment. While it's true that Nolan came right off the bat and deemed that the 49ers would run the 3-4 D this year, I'm still not certain that the scheme will work. For starters, while the scheme favors the 49ers more depthful LB unit, it remains to be seen if guys like Jeff Ulbrich and Derek Smith can emulate the success of 3-4 master defenses like the Ravens and Steelers. Then, you have to entertain the possibility that neither Anthony Adams (undersized) or Issac Sopoaga (raw) can hold the NT anchor on the line. None the less, the 49ers have shown commitment to the unit and Bryant Young and Marques Douglas off the edge has started to look tighter the past few weeks. Regardless, the 49ers D must improve quickly and not allow the 452 points (a league high) that they allowed in the previous season. But those long runs that the D has been giving up all pre-season are not comforting.
So in the end, there have been surprises and expectations throughout this 2005 season. As a team, the 49ers are now entering uncharted territory. The team can bounce back and return to its glory days, but to do so the team must show patience in developing the young guys. There are players like Alex Smith and Fred Amey, who could pay huge dividends in a year or two, but this will be a season where the 49ers try to settle themselves and establish some kind of identity. That's something they did not do all of last year. None the less, it should be an exciting season for the 49ers in terms of player evaluation. But whether that turns into wins (I honestly see the 49ers winning no more than 3-4 games myself), something that the fans measure success by, remains to be seen.
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