Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Of the many free agents the San Francisco 49ers have added to their roster this off-season, one of the one important was the signing of defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey. The former Kansas City Chiefs player will take over for Isaac Sopoagaat nose tackle, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the 49ers.

On Monday, I stumbled upon an interview Dorsey did on the radio station 95.7 The Game in San Francisco talking about why he signed with the 49ers and what the team has in store for him. The interview was conducted shortly after he signed with the team on March 13 and was one of the first interviews as a Niner. What was the most intriguing part of the interview were the reasons why he signed with the 49ers. One of which was to win a Super Bowl, explaining he felt there was “something special here” with the 49ers:

They (San Francisco 49ers) just come from the Super Bowl. They have a winning formula. Even getting here and just getting off the plane and coming to the facility and just saying hi to guys who are interacting with each other, with the players and the personnel and the coaches. Man it’s something special. It’s something special here. I’m excited to be a part of it.

The full interview is worth listening to. Click here for the audio from the interview. Here are some highlights:

Why were the 49ers such a good fit for you?

Glenn Dorsey: “I think everybody can see that the 49ers have a good situation going on and they had some guys leave. Just watching them on film, I think I can help contribute. I’m excited about the opportunity.”

How do you see playing alongside Justin Smith?

GD: “Yeah, I’m looking forward to the opportunity. You watch them on film and they got a lot of great players here. Guys who been around awhile and know how to do things and just the mindset everybody has when I got here. People are working. I am just excited and whatever they ask me to do I’ll do it to the best of my availability.”

Talk about a team that has a chance to win the Super Bowl?

GD: “Right, it’s a big chance. I am not taking anything away from Kansas City. That’s a great organization over there, too. A lot of respect for those guys. They gave me an opportunity, but like you said, the 49ers just came from a Super Bowl and there’s a lot going on — a lot of positive stuff and action going on here. I’m just thankful and glad I have the opportunity to help contribute and I am ready to get in there and start working.”

What were the options you had and what sold you on the 49ers?

GD: “I had a few teams, but to be honest with you man, it’s the 49ers. They just come from the Super Bowl. They have a winning formula. Even getting here and just getting off the plane and coming to the facility and just saying hi to guys who are interacting with each other, with the players and the personnel and the coaches. Man it’s something special. It’s something special here. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Have the 49ers told you how they are using you?

GD: “No, I’m coming into it trying to play whatever they want me to play. Whatever I can do to help this team, and the team’s had success in the past, so whatever I can do to add to that and keep helping I am going to do. I don’t have no set spot. I just want to come in and compete and whatever they see fit, let’s go.”

#1 Linebacker Navorro Bowman

Navorro definitely took a huge step forward in 2011, playing in all 16 games for the 2nd straight season and recording 143 tackles. This year however, it is apparent that #53 will be asked to step up even more and make a bigger impact this season. While the 143 tackles might be impressive, Navorro only recorded two sacks and zero interceptions in 2011, numbers that need to come up should he want to take the next step in his maturity as an NFL linebacker. Playing opposite the best linebacker in the world should help right? Navorro definitely has the right mentor in Patrick Willis and should be following #52 around every where during OTA’s and mini-camps to soak up as much information as he can from Willis. So what are the expectations for a player like Navorro Bowman in 2012? This will be his 3rd season in the NFL and this is the year he should break out and become a top flight LB in this league. His skill and drive to excel at his position are apparent now more than ever and I hope/expect to see #53 be a big part of the 49ers defense this year.

#2 Tight End Delanie Walker

Delanie has been living in the shadow of Vernon Davis since Vernon came in to the league and blew every one’s socks off with his skill, he hasn’t caught more than 30 passes in a single season in his career and there are a lot of reasons for that, mainly the fact that the 49ers offense has been struggling to get the ball to anyone but Vernon Davis for some time now. That should change this year with the addition of many offensive weapons during this offseason. The problem is, Delanie could easily get lost in the shuffle in regards to getting looks from Quarterback Alex Smith. This is where Delanie needs to step up and make an impact, he needs to be sure that when he is on the field that he gets open and Alex Smith looks his way. Now, I don’t expect the 49ers to run an ton of two tight end sets this season but when they do, look for Delanie Walker to be a factor. Another area the Delanie has shown much improvement is his ability to get loose in the Red Zone. He scored three TD’s in 2011 and all three were inside the scoring zone, look for him to be a good target inside the 20 yard line this season as well.

#3 Defensive Tackle Ray McDonald

On nearly every account, Ray McDonald had a stellar year in 2011, surpassing his previous seasons numbers in virtually every category, oft overshadowed by Justin Smith, he has quietly become a strong player on an even stronger defense. His 5.5 sacks last season were good, but he needs to perform at a higher level if he wants to become one of the top DT’s in the game. He definitely has the skill set, and size to be an even bigger threat both in the pass rushing game and stopping the run on the edge, in order for him to do this, he will need to become a more versatile player and become better at knowing where the ball is once it is snapped. If I had one negative thing to say about Ray’s game it is that he sometimes seems out of place once the ball is snapped. Some call it field vision and if you want to see an example of it on the 49ers defense look no further than McDonald’s line mate Justin Smith, that guy seems to be in/on/around every tackle and that is exactly what you want from your defensive line. If Ray can improve that aspect of his game, he can surely make a profound impact and stand out on a defense full of top notch talent.

Obviously it is well known the lofty goals the 49ers organization has and no one has been more vocal about those goals than the 49ers coaches and players. That being said, in order for those goals to be reached, all the players need to step up and pitch in but in looking at the entire roster and the players at each position, these three players need to take the next step in their evolution and help this team succeed when they are on the field. If Bowman, Walker, and McDonald can make the shift from nondescript, role players to every down player or at the very least play maker when they are on the field, then the 49ers defense should be (believe it or not) better than they were in 2011.

The 49ers own the second best rushing defense in the NFL this season they have shut down many of the top running backs in the NFL already this season. The defense in San Francisco  is dominated and what makes it go is its unrelenting run defense. Led by inside linebackers Patrick Willis and first year starter Navarro Bowman who rank 3rd and 7th  currently in tackles in the NFL the group hasn’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in an NFL record 28 consecutive games.

In fact only one running back this season has rushed more 37 yards against the 49ers  when Cedric Bensen  rushed for 64 yards on 17 carries. Three of the six running backs the 49ers faced rushed for less than 30 yards. The 49ers so far have shut down Marshawn Lynch  33 yards 13 carries 2.5 avg, Felix Jones  25 yards 9 carries 2.8 avg, LeShaun McCoy  18 yards, 9 carries, 2.0 avg, LeGarrette Blount  34 yards, 10 carries, 3.4 avg, and Jahvid Best  37 yards, 12 carries, 3.1 avg.  Nobody and I mean nobody is gaining any yardage against this team.
Page 2: Why it’s a risk to your health to run against the 49ers
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