The 49ers secondary were beat deep down the field many times last year and they will have to improve on their lack of interceptions.  If the defensive backs can get help from the D-linemen by pressuring the quarterback more often an increase in broken up passes and interceptions will happen while getting beat on a long pass will decrease.

CB Nate Clements:  The durable veteran is entering his third season with the Niners and Clements great tackling skills and his ability to match up against the best receivers in the NFL makes the 49ers secondary respectable.  But Clements is only one man and the rest of the secondary will need to produce for the 49ers to win games on defense.

CB Shawntae Spencer:  After sustaining a torn ACL last season that ended with him being placed on injured reserve Spencer went into training camp determined to get his starting job back after Walt Harris supplanted him the last two years.  Ironically Harris suffered a torn ACL during OTA’s which opened the door for Spencer to become the starter again.  Shortly after Harris’ injury the Niners signed Dre’ Bly and the prospect of Spencer starting diminished.  When you are under the radar the big plays you make are more noticeable to the coaches because you come out of nowhere and the coaches do not expect that.  Let’s hope his knee injury can hold up for a whole season and that it does not cause him to let the receiver run by him.

Strong Safety Michael Lewis:  Two concussions in August make him uncertain for week 1.  Lewis is a solid safety and was third on the team last year in tackles racking up 118.  Concussions are serious injuries and with Lewis being a hard hitter it is uncertain when he will play this season.  We need him back as soon as possible.

Free Safety Dashon Goldson:  The third year pro replaced former starter Mark Roman by having a strong training camp and playing well in the preseason.  Goldson is a known hard hitter and his speed and instincts will allow him to make plenty of plays this season.  Goldson is ready to break out this year.

Key Reserves:

CB Dre’ Bly:  When the 49ers signed Bly in the off-season to replace the injured Walt Harris I automatically assumed he would be the starter.  The 11 year veteran showed in training camp he still has what it takes to cover quick receivers but that was not enough to earn a starting job.  Bly’s playing time will come mostly in the Nickel package as he will be the first corner off the bench because he excels at covering receivers down the field.  His 40 interceptions in ten seasons is impressive and if he can keep up the way he has been playing during his career Bly could be starting at cornerback at some point in the season.

CB Tarell Brown:  He was competing for Harris’ starting job along with Bly but he did not have an impressive training camp or preseason.  Brown’s contribution to the D this year will be in the Nickel package.  Bly will get the first look in the Nickel package so Brown’s playing will be limited unless someone gets injured.

Strong Safety Reggie Smith:  With starter Michael Lewis sustaining two concussions in the preseason his status for the start of the season is questionable.  Enter Smith.  He only has one year of experience and played in only three games last year so he is a question mark.  He is a versatile player who can also play the corner position but I am hoping Lewis will be able to come back and play in week 1.  Relying on a player who has only three games of experience makes me uneasy.

Special Teams:

The 49ers have one of the best special teams units in the NFL.  Led by coach Al Everest the special teams will put the 49ers in position to make plays on both sides of the football.  Joe Nedney is still automatic but his ability to make field goals 40 yards or longer has been an issue.  But when you have a Pro-Bowl punter in Andy Lee, who will try to pin down the opposing offense inside the 20 yard line and Pro-Bowl return man in Allen Rossum who will try to get the 49ers great field position, the special teams unit will be counted on again this year to give the 49ers offense and defense some help.

Kicker Joe Nedney:  He is getting older and has lost some range but Nedney is a dependable kicker who can score three points in pressure situations.  He does confuse me sometimes like last year against the Seahawks in week 2 he missed a 41-yard field goal at the end of regulation to win the game, but then he won the game with 40-yard field goal in overtime.  He will miss some kicks but he is still considered one of the better kickers in the league.

Punter Andy Lee:  The 2007 Pro-Bowl and All-Pro punter put up great numbers last year by setting a career-high and Niners single-season record with a 47.8 gross average on punts, breaking his own previous record of 47.3 avg. in 2007.  He also had a career-long punt of 82 yards against the Patriots last year.  Like in years past Lee will make up for what the offense cannot accomplish by pinning opponents deep in their own territory.

Kick/Punt Returner Allen Rossum:  Last year Rossum had career high averages in kick-off returns (26.8 yards) and punt returns (14.9 yards) and we should expect more of the same from the specialist.  Getting good field position before every drive will help the 49ers offense especially Shaun Hill in that they will not have to go many yards for a score.

Five Keys to Success:

1.  Safety Michael Lewis needs to stay healthy if the 49ers secondary wants to improve on the multiple times they were beat deep down the field last year.  He has had two concussions in a month and the 49ers might have to rely on Reggie Smith for much of the season if precaution is taken with Lewis’ head injury.  The opponents D will exploit Smith.

2.  Nate the Great needs to be Nate the Great.  He was outstanding while on the Bills which is why the 49ers signed him to a big contract.  He has done a decent job the two years on the roster but we need to see more out of Clements this year.

3.  Joe Nedney will have plenty of opportunities to make game-tying or game winning field goals.  He needs to capitalize where the 49ers offense falters.

4.  If punter Andy Lee can continue being one of the best punters in the league the 49ers will be in good shape each game.  He will give the 49ers defense plenty of chances to make big plays.

5.  We are not sure how effective Dashon Goldson, making his first career start in week 1, and Shawntae Spencer, starting for the first time in two years, will be.  A lot will be riding on the two starters but with Goldson’s tackling and hitting abilities and with Spencer determined to show he still has what it takes to make plays I think both will be reliable this season.  They know there are players waiting on the bench eager to take over the starting job.

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7:00 PM (PST)

Bill Walsh Field at Candlestick Park

The useless games that are the preseason start tonight, but for the 49ers this game is important as Mike Singletary and his coaches try to decide on who will be starter under center for the Niner’s this year.  First up, Shaun Hill.  The incumbent quarterback is expected to be named the starter for the regular season and what he does tonight will cement his status.  Alex Smith is expected to run the first team offense tonight as well but Singletary has said the amount of playing time for both will depend on the flow of the game and how each have done when on the field.  If not for Hill being 7-3 as starter, Singletary should give the starting job to Hill because he is one of the reasons why Singletary had the interim tag replaced by a permanent status as head coach.

49er players out for tonight

RB Frank Gore will rest his legs and WR Isaac Bruce is sitting out because he has missed practiced the last couple of days due to being poked in the eye.

Players not seeing action tonight due to injury: LG David Baas (foot), LB Patrick Willis (ankle), CB Tarell Brown (toe),  RB Michael Robinson (groin), TE Delanie Walker (concussion).

What to watch out for

Other than the Hill vs. Smith competition there are some notable players you should be watching for tonight’s game:

WR Josh Morgan:  The endless saga that is Michael Crabtree has no end in sight and with Bruce sitting out with an eye injury and the fact that he is on his last legs makes tonight’s game for Morgan all that more important.  Regardless of what happens with Crabtree, Morgan has been on the rise and gets a chance to show the coaches why he should be the starting WR opposite Bruce.

RT Adam Snyder:  Snyder has been lining up at right tackle with the first team offense in training camp more than free-agent signee Marvel Smith.  Smith was brought in to take over the starting job but he has a history of back problems and with Snyder’s versatility the last couple of years being able to play not only left and right tackle but also at the guard position gives him an edge.

RB Glen Coffee:  Coffee was drafted to keep Gore’s legs fresh and to actually have an impact when Gore is not on the field.  The 49ers have not had an adequate backup for Gore since he has been on the team.  We have seen the likes of DeShaun Foster and Michael Robinson as backups but none had the potential impact that Coffee could have of making the defense account for both running backs.  Gore will not play tonight so Coffee’s time to shine is now.

CB Dre’ Bly:  When CB Walt Harris went down with a season ending injury in OTA’s the 49ers signed Bly to compete with backup Tarell Brown.  Brown has been leading the competition in camp but he is out tonight due to injury.  Bly has an opportunity to show the coaching staff he still can be a playmaker and relied on for coverage.

TE Vernon Davis:  Every year since he has been in the NFL was suppose to be Davis’ breakout year and this is what we hear again.  Most have said he looks good in practice and is on his way to being an elite tight end but I disagree.  I hope Davis has his breakout year but that is not going to happen.  The 49ers have grown tired with Davis’ inability to be a consistent receiver which is why they drafted Bear Pascoe to pressure him to be productive.

Prediction:

Both teams will come out playing shaky as the players try to come their nerves and energy in trying to show and do too much.  Both teams are installing new offenses so don’t expect a high scoring game especially once the scrubs come in.  The 49ers will pull out the win 17-13.

Oh, yeah and Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan returns to the place that fired him.

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Hamstring Hill

With one month of summer left and with the MLB trade deadline today that can only mean one thing, the start of the 2009 training camp.  NFL football fans across the country are gearing up for the official start of a new season hoping the off-season acquisitions their respective teams made will help them get into the playoffs and hopefully a Super Bowl trophy.  With rookies already reporting to camp on Tuesday, along with some veterans, the rest of the players report today with the first practice of training camp set for tomorrow morning.  From the reactions of some 49er players Mike Singletary plans to work his players hard right from the get go.

Defensive end Justin Smith: “I’ve looked at Saturday’s schedule and it looks pretty brutal. We’re going to have tackling drills. I’ve never done tackling drills in the NFL. He wants to get back to the basics, and that’s blocking and tackling.”

Offensive lineman Joe Staley: “I expect it to be physical and intense, everything training camp should be. If you know Singletary, he’s known for his intensity. I expect it to be a physical, intense training camp with a lot of competition.”

Singletary has installed what players have dubbed “Hamstring Hill” pictured above.  The hill is 15 feet high, 45 feet long.  One side has 30-degree incline and the other side has a 40-degree incline.  Players got their first look at it in OTA’s and Singletary is expected to use it often and when players run up the sides you might see them pulling weights behind them.  Right from the beginning in Singletary’s first full season as a head coach we are seeing stark differences between Singletary and fired coach Mike Nolan.  Singletary is trying to install intensity into his players from the moment they step on the field, the kind he played and practiced with in his days with the Bears.  This is going to be a great thing for the players as they have all bought into Singletary’s coaching style and philosophy, even the troublesome Vernon Davis:  “I expect coach Singletary to be tough on us, no nonsense. I got my mind right for it. You shouldn’t think of it as rough or brutal. I’ll just play ball and do what I’m told.”

If Davis has been sold on Singletary then you know the rest of the Niner squad has as well.  As much as I love Singletary wanting to pound his players physically as soon as training camp begins the thought of over doing it and an injury to an important player happening is greater.  Singletary knows what he is doing but he needs to be careful as he will have players practice in full pads for the first two weeks of camp in both morning and afternoon practices.  Normally coaches don’t have players in pads in the afternoon workout and contact is minimal but Singletary does nothing normal and by the books.  If he did I doubt he would have been the successful player he was and be a head coach in the NFL.

Top three stories in training camp

Michael Crabtree: Whether you like it or not MCT is the top story until he signs with the Niners.  One man should never overshadow a team but he was our biggest acquisition in the off-season and he upgraded our receiving corps to respectability. However it does not help that he is demanding top-three draft pick money.  Even after he signs the question becomes how healthy is he and, depending on when he signs, can he learn the offense in time and develop a rapport with Shaun Hill and become a feared receiver-quarterback combo.

Shaun Hill vs. Alex Smith: Why Singletary has decided to have a QB competition is beyond me.  Hill is 7-3 as a starter and has finished the last two seasons as the man under center and won games for the Red and Gold.  With exception of a decent year in 2006 in which he started all 16 games, Alex Smith has showed nothing as a quarterback only that he knows how to get injured.  Even though Singletary said he will make a decision after the second game of the preseason the quicker Singletary picks the superior QB the better for the team.  I have ask the question numerous times, but what is it that Smith has shown for him to still be considered?

The D and Cornerback Position: Led by Justin Smith and Patrick Willis the D-line and linebackers should be solid this year.  Second year DE Kentwan Balmer needs to develop into a sacking machine which the Niners did not do a lot of last year. Everyone on the D-line needs to step-up and put more pressure on the QB to allow the corners not to get beat deep which was a problem for the secondary last year. Manny Lawson will play an important role in the 3-4 defensive scheme coming off the end to pressure the QB.  Cornerback Walt Harris went down with an ACL injury in off-season workouts and has been placed on IR.  This was a blow to the secondary but the 49ers quickly signed veteran Dre’ Bly who is 32 years old.  Bly should get the starting job but Tarell Brown will give him a run for his money.  We know Nate Clements is holding down the other side but the question is can Bly or Brown be a reliable cover man?

49ers training camp location: 4949 Centennial Boulevard in Santa Clara, CA.

Practices open to the public: Saturday, August 1 (4:30pm); Saturday, August 8 (8:30am & 4:00pm)

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