What San Francisco 49ers fans really want this holiday season — Part 10
Welcome to part ten in our 49ers fans’ wishlist series. In this article, Niner Noise will cover the San Francisco outside linebacker situation. Like in previous posts, Niner Noise will bring back a player from 49ers past and make offseason suggestions to improve the team.
Oct 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) carries the ball ahead of San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Niner Noise assesses the outside linebacker situation with a side dish of sarcasm.
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Welcome to part 10 of this series. In this post, we will address the 49ers pass rush. Coming in to the season, there was hope that No. 59, Aaron Lynch, would finally produce like a quality outside linebacker.
Unfortunately, he was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Shortly after returning from his four-game suspension, Lynch suffered a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss an additional six games. All in all, Lynch has played in five games and has notched 1.5 sacks. His performance was so invisible, even if you doubled his sack totals for the year, his performance would still be paler than the ghost of Christmas past.
Across from Lynch is Aaron Brooks. Brooks has never been a star OLB, but during his prime years he provided a solid pass rush.
In addition to pass-rush support, Brooks was solid in defending the run. Brooks has struggled in defending the run this year, not to mention his best days are behind him now. Let’s just say Father Time robbed him of his youth seemingly after the 2013 season.
Brooks will be remembered most by fans for his controversial sack attempt, which almost decapitated New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. But Brooks has slowed down considerably and can no longer be counted on to be a dependable OLB, even though he is the current 49ers sack leader (that hurt just typing out).
Second-year player Eli Harold shows some promise of developing into a potential starter. But it is clear he will not be a dominant pass-rusher. Fourth-year player Tank Carradine appears to be on his way out of the NFL. In his four-year career, Carradine has shown about as much potential as tube socks are of being excellent holiday gifts.
Actually, tube socks might have more potential of being a good gift.
On the season, San Francisco’s pass defense has recorded 27 sacks (good enough for a No. 22 ranking, per Pro Football Reference) and allowed a passer rating of 100.2.
Compared to the Niners’ 2012 season, in which the team tallied 38 sacks and only allowing a QB rating of 78 (good enough for a No. 11 ranking that year), you can see why the 49ers need to address the OLB position.
So how do the 49ers do so? Well, let Niner Noise add some items to place underneath your tree this holiday season.
Aug 8, 2015, Canton, OH, USA; Charles Haley (right) and presenter Eddie DeBartolo Jr. pose with the bust at the 2015 Pro Football Enshrinement Cermony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Charles Haley
(Former San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker & defensive end, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Our blast from the past selection is none other Hall-of-Famer Charles Haley.
Many might have wanted other players to be picked for this spot, but other players simply do not have the pedigree or impact Haley had in his career.
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website, Haley is the only player in NFL history to hold five Super Bowl rings. In his career, he totaled 100.5 sacks. While with the 49ers, he played as both a defensive end and as an outside linebacker, excelling as a sack artist at both positions.
Haley was the original Aldon Smith, known for having plenty of off-the-field issues. However, Haley never missed any time due to suspension.
Smith’s immaturity derailed a promising career that could have developed into something special, something like Haley’s career. Unfortunately, Smith’s off-the-field problems led to him being cut from the team.
If only we could call back No. 94 to wreak havoc on opposing QBs.
Nov 13, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones (55) sacks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Chandler Jones, Outside Linebacker, Arizona Cardinals
Our No. 2 selection is Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones.
Jones has been with the Cardinals for one season and has recorded eight sacks on the year. He is a well-rounded OLB, who can set the edge just as well as he can get after opposing quarterbacks.
In his career, Jones has notched 44 sacks and, at 26 years old, he is entering his prime years. The 49ers have enough cap space to lure Jones in while also weakening a division rival.
According to Spotrac, Jones is valued at $12.5 million a year. However Jones will command more than that on the open market.
For this reason, Jones comes in as No. 2 on Niner Noise’s holiday wish list.
Jones will end up gobbling so much of the cap space that the 49ers are better off looking elsewhere, such as signing Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
Most of what will ultimately decide if the 49ers go after a free-agent OLB is whether or not they decide to draft a QB or an OLB. Considering the talent at the top of the draft, the 49ers should look to draft a premier pass-rusher.
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) tackles Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M
Even if you follow football loosely, you already know the name Myles Garrett.
Garrett is an almost unanimous top-rated college football prospect and is projected to be the No. 1 overall NFL draft selection by several different sources.
Per Walter Football, Garrett stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 270 pounds with the a 4.6 forty-yard dash time. Garrett is simply a physical freak of nature, using his uncanny speed to make impact plays in the backfield.
Below is a series of plays from Texas A&M’s game versus No. 1 ranked Alabama providing a good example of Garrett’s exceptional talents. So without any further delay, let’s start shaking the wrapped presents and see if Garrett is under the tree.
Note: These are all clips of the same video, just spaced at different intervals.
Here is a play of Garrett using his electrifying first step to split two Alabama players to disrupt the play in the backfield:
Oh and memo to offensive coordinators, don’t ever make the mistake of leaving him unblocked like Alabama did on this play:
I guess Alabama’s offensive coordinator didn’t get the memo because they leave him unblocked again on this play:
Now check out Garrett tossing projected first-rounder left tackle Cam Robinson out of the way so he can make the play on the running back:
Oh, maybe Alabama’s offensive coordinator got the memo late. Here, Alabama tries to block Garrett with two players. Garrett responds by disrupting the play in the back field even though he is going up against a double team (notice how Robinson is in on that double team):
Garrett also displays power with that speed rush as demonstrated on this play below, blasting through Alabama’s left guard:
Watch as Garret does the same on this play (see a theme developing here?):
These plays are all from just one game.
Now, Niner Noise presents to you the mandatory Myles Garrett hype video:
Garrett is a rare player whose ability translates well to the NFL. He comes from the same school as Denver OLB Von Miller, who also played on the defensive line before transitioning to a 3-4 outside linebacker like many project Garrett will do in the NFL.
When Miller was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Miller ended his four-year college career with 33 sacks. That year, the Carolina Panthers selected Auburn QB Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick.
Interesting fact about the 2011 draft was that the 49ers selected Aldon Smith and could still be benefiting from his play had he not allowed non-football related issues to end his time with the Niners.
Miller, of course, went on to be named last year’s Super Bowl MVP due to his dominant pass rush that impacted the play of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, the Cleveland Browns hold the No. 1 overall draft choice, and it is reported that they have an “astronomical grade” on Garrett, per SB Nation.
But before fans lose all hope, we could all see a repeat of the 2011 draft in more ways than one. That year draft prognosticators had the Panthers drafting everyone but Newton. But Carolina went ahead and drafted a QB. This allowed Denver to draft Miller No. 2 overall.
During that same draft, the 49ers selected a pass-rusher in Smith and a QB in Colin Kaepernick in the second round. This year it is quite possible the Browns select a QB with their No. 1 overall pick, allowing the 49ers to draft Garrett at No. 2 overall and a QB later in the draft.
So far, most draft analysts have stated that there are no QBs worth taking in the top 10 of this year’s draft. Still, teams often reach for a QB, and no other team has reached for a QB more than the Browns.
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Reaching for QBs has been the Browns’ calling card for perpetually each and every year.
Garrett is an All-World prospect and would have the same impact as if the 49ers started a Velociraptor at OLB. He would add iron to an anemic 49ers defense. He would also help develop the 49ers offensive line, just like a former 49ers head coach once famously stated, “Iron sharpens Iron”.
For 49ers fans, nabbing Garrett would be like getting a tickle-me Elmo during the holiday madness of 1996.
By now, fans are probably asking themselves if the pass rush is so important to the 49ers defense. Why is it not the ending story of this 12-part series? Well, that’s because the 49ers have a need at the most important position — the QB position.
Also, there are other really good pass-rushing options that the Niners can get by either trading down and selecting Tennessee’s OLB Derek Barnett or acquiring a free-agent pass-rusher like Chandler Jones.
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This year’s draft possesses less-than-stellar QB prospects and rarely do franchise QBs make it to free agency leaving the 49ers with limited options to upgrade the position.
These limited QB upgrade options resulted in Niner Noise elevating the QB positional need higher than that of the outside linebacker positional need.
No matter how they address the OLB position, the 49ers must address the position as this is the 49ers second-highest need heading into 2017 season.
Tomorrow, we will look in Santa’s bag and see if we can find a QB to fill the team’s need at the position.
