December 30, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Delanie Walker (46) runs with the ball after making a catch next to Arizona Cardinals free safety Kerry Rhodes (25) in the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans today announced that they have reached an agreement with TE Delanie Walker to a four-year contract. The news is a huge blow for the San Francisco 49ers, as they have no reliable back up to TE Vernon Davis and furthermore will need to find a replacement via free-agency or the NFL Draft. Walker’s combination of versatility and speed is what made him a hot commodity over the years. Through seven seasons with the 49ers he has accumulated 123 receptions for 1,465 yards and 8 touchdowns. Furthermore, it was not his tight-end play that earned him recognition but his special teams versatility. Walker was a jack of all trades when it came to special teams as he covered kickoffs, punts, and returned some as well.

Walker was a fan favorite and will surely be missed. He was the consummate team player and never complained about playing time, despite being a top flight tight-end in this league. His versatility is what earned him the nickname, “The Swiss Army Knife,” by 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. With a huge gap to fill, the Niners will now be in the market for a back up tight-end, and some that come to mind are TE Dustin Keller, TE Fred Davis, and TE Anthony Fasano.

September 18, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Delanie Walker (46) celebrates in front of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer (93) after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The Cowboys defeated the 49ers 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Moments after Super Bowl XLVII ended, a tragic incident had occurred. Unaware of the situation, San Francisco 49ers tight-end Delanie Walker was still devastated by losing the biggest game of his life. However, blinded by the “unknown,” he would soon receive news of an unfortunate incident, in which his Aunt and Uncle were pronounced dead after leaving the game.

Alice and Bryan Young of Pomona, California were stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 10 in St. Charles Parish, when Nechole Thomas (26) hit them as she veered off the highway. Thomas, who was under suspicion of drunk driving, was arrested on vehicular homicide charges and reckless operation of a vehicle.

Walker posted an official tweet on his twitter account saying:

Alice and bryan young my aunt and uncle was killed on Monday at 5 am after the super bowl by a drunk driver…We lost some good people they will be missed i love y’all so much.

In a sport where football brings us together, it is times like these that puts things in perspective. Let this serve as a constant reminder to never drink and drive.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the Walker family as they continue to cope with their loss.

#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.