San Francisco 49ers: 6 Remaining Storylines to Watch This Offseason

Who will fill the Ian Williams’ void?

Perhaps, aside from NaVorro Bowman, Ian Williams was the 49ers’ best player on either side of the ball in 2015.

However, San Francisco may have to cope without the nose tackle for the start of the 2016 campaign after it was revealed Williams had undergone ankle surgery, forcing the Niners to turn a well-deserved five-year extension into a one-year deal.

The hope will obviously be that Williams is able to recover in time for Week 1, but should that not be the case then there will be an interesting battle to take his role as the anchor of the defensive line.

Glenn Dorsey and Mike Purcell are the candidates to take the job should Williams miss regular-season time, and both have strong cases.

Dorsey is coming off a torn ACL but has previously performed well as a nose tackle, enjoying an impressive 2013 campaign at the position following an injury suffered by Williams early in the year.

Purcell is less experienced but is a better fit to play the position with his 6’3″ and 303-pound frame that makes him an ideal two-gapper in a 3-4 front. He also caught the eye last preseason and posted 15 tackles and a sack in eight games – starting three – in the time he saw in the regular season.

With the nickel defense becoming a de facto base defense for many teams in the NFL, the 49ers are likely to play a lot of four-man fronts where a nose tackle is not required.

But last term Williams showed how important strong play at nose tackle can be when San Francisco is in its traditional base defense and how Dorsey and Purcell perform in the offseason will likely help the 49ers decide which one will fill in for him.

Next: How will the secondary shape up?