San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula and his assistants certainly have their work cut out for them this season. Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — With linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith and strong safety Antoine Bethea back to anchor the defense, and Torrey Smith added to an offense that already included fellow wideout Anquan Boldin, tight end Vernon Davis and quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers will open training camp on Aug. 1 fully believing they can play with anybody on most areas of the football field.
The question is: When all the bodies are shuffled and set in place before the Sept. 14 opener against the Minnesota Vikings, will they be able to say the same thing about both of their lines?
New head coach Jim Tomsula, who was promoted from the defensive line, already thinks he knows the answer to that one.
Rest assured, it’s going to be Priority 1 of training camp.
“I’m a big fan of running,” he said at his introductory press conference in January. “It is pretty when you see two guys get together and knock that guy off the ball, and the (defensive) lineman knock the guy back into the gap. That is pretty, too.”
Tomsula has every right to be excited about the potential of his lines. After all, if he has proven he knows anything about a football team, it’s how to coach the big guys.
He and his assistants certainly have their work cut out for them this season. The 49ers went from having two of the best lines in football to having two of the biggest questions marks basically overnight.
The offensive line lost Pro-Bowl left guard Mike Iupati to free agency and standout right tackle Anthony Davis to retirement since last season.
They had some depth in the middle of the line last year, but not much outside. The guy Jim Harbaugh hand-picked to replace Davis a majority of the time last season while he was injured, Jonathan Martin, was released by the new staff in late March, was claimed by Carolina and then retired this week.
Tomsula plans to fill one of the vacancies with newcomer Erik Pears, who has experience both at guard and tackle. He is expected to battle returning right guard Alex Boone for Davis’ tackle position, with the loser sliding inside to the guard spot.
Replacing Iupati should be much more complicated. Tomsula hopes it’s as easy as debuting talented Brandon Thomas, a third-round pick who sat out last season with a knee injury. But returnees Andrew Tiller, Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney could have a say in that.
CAMP CALENDAR
July 31: Team reports
Aug. 1: First practice
Aug. 13: Camp ends
–Team strength: Linebacker.
It’s been argued the 49ers had the best collection of linebackers of all-time when they employed Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman on the inside and Aldon Smith on the outside. Willis has retired, as has the first choice to be his replacement, Chris Borland, but that still leaves two of the best in the game in Bowman and Smith to build around. Aaron Lynch is a potential breakout player flanking Smith on the outside, and Michael Wilhoite, the team’s second-leading tackler in 2014, has plenty of starting experience with which to complement Bowman on the inside. The unit is so strong, the 49ers still aren’t even sure they want to keep dependable outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who enters camp listed as the starter.
–Breakout player: Defensive back/safety Jimmie Ward.
The 49ers had such depth in the secondary last season, they weren’t quite sure how to use Ward, a first-round pick. Drafted as a safety, Ward initially earned a job as a slot cornerback. He might be needed to do more than that this season. The 49ers lost two of their top three cover corners — Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox — since the end of last season, placing more importance on whatever role Ward is given. Surrounded by great talent in cornerback Tramaine Brock and safeties Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid, it will be no surprise if opponents choose to pick on Ward, and he in turn makes them pay.
–Work in progress: Cornerbacks.
Technically, the 49ers have only one starting spot unclaimed in their secondary. They have a total of six at linebacker and in the offensive and defensive lines.
But in today’s football, even one point of weakness in the defensive backfield can be a killer.
The 49ers lost their second- and third-best cover corners in Perrish Cox and Chris Culliver to free agency, then went out and imported veteran Shareece Wright. He will compete with Jimmie Ward, Dontae Johnson and Chris Cook for the starting right cornerback and nickel corner positions.
With Brock, who missed most of last season with a toe injury, being coddled at minicamp, 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula might have to be creative with how he utilizes safety Eric Reid, especially with the club having exhausted a high pick in a possible replacement safety, Jaquiski Tartt.
