Weekend Whirlwind Part 2: 49ers defense heading into 2009

by David Fucillo on Sep 8, 2009 2:00 PM PDT in San Francisco 49ers News

And we're back for the second part of this holiday weekend roundup. If you missed the first part, we covered the offense earlier this morning. The 53-man roster decisions made for some interesting options on offense. This afternoon we're here to check out some of the roster decisions for the defense.

Shawntae Spencer
I have to admit, this stunned me. Even though Coach Manusky said it was a 3-way battle for the #2 cornerback position, I still didn't believe it. I like Shawntae Spencer, even throughout the injuries and less than stellar play at times. When he was starting, he never came across as a #1 shutdown corner. At most he was the #2 guy, but in reality I felt like he was best served as the nickel back. He's certainly a talented cornerback, but there have been a lot of inconsistencies over the years.

So what does this mean for the 49ers in the coming days, weeks and months? I can truthfully say I have NO idea at this point. It definitely means I should pay closer attention to Coach Manusky post conference transcripts, that's for sure. However, in terms of the on-field product, there are several things that could be in play here, all, some or none of which could be true.

At this point, Coach Manusky and Coach Singletary think Shawntae Spencer is the best man for the #2 job. While I can buy it, it's still amazing how easy it was to overlook Spencer on game-day. Is that a good or a bad thing? One possibility is that Brown missed a good chunk of time with his toe injury and this is one way for the team to ease him back into things in terms of game action. He's seen the field in the preseason, but not nearly as much as Dre Bly did. So, we very well could see Tarell Brown re-asserting himself as the starting corner at some point this season.

While I do not disapprove of the decision, it remains a bit of a mystery. In the transcript before the Chargers game, Manusky simply said they would be looking at all three guys. Later tonight I'm going to check out the game tape and I definitely will be keeping a close eye on Shawntae Spencer.

Seventh Round duo
Aside from Spencer, the most interesting decisions seemed to involve the youngsters on the roster. Most notably, Ricky Jean-Francois and Curtis Taylor both made the 53-man roster. This isn't a stunning decision, but at the same time, it certainly has me curious. One upside to having a pair of rookies on the roster is the ability to use them as fodder for the inactive list.

At this point I'd imagine Curtis Taylor will see a lot of time as an inactive, barring injuries. The team has depth at safety (even if you don't like some of it) in Mark Roman and Reggie Smith. On the defensive line, RJF is also likely to spend a fair amount of time on the inactive list. Justin Smith can be penned in at right defensive end. On the left side Isaac Sopoaga and Kentwan Balmer will be battling for playing time. Ray McDonald would seem to fit in as the situational pass rusher, while Demetric Evans will be playing a bit of a utility role. Again, whether you "like" the depth or not, that's a lot of bodies for a rookie to leapfrog on the depth chart.

Aside from Spencer and the two 7th round picks, the defense more or less fell into place. I know there are some folks who are disappointed to see Diyral Briggs get waived. The 49ers do have an extra spot on the practice squad and I (along with Barrows and others I'm sure) fully expect Briggs to end up there if he clears waivers. If this posts after the Briggs issue is resolved and I have not updated this post, I'll get to it.

At this point, we head into the season with the defense more or less as we expected...except for the whole Shawntae Spencer resolution. Just reading that still blows my mind. I honestly figured his starting days were absolutely done. I certainly don't mean that as a sign of disrespect for Spencer. However, he's coming off a torn ACL and has always struggled to stay healthy. Is there a reason to expect him to make it through the season healthy as a starter?

Poll

How many games will Shawntae Spencer start as CB #2 in 2009?

0-2

86 votes

3-5

187 votes

6-8

124 votes

9-11

77 votes

12-14

45 votes

15-16

73 votes

592 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Spencer

Even though I didn’t expect him to win the starting job, I wasn’t totally surprised by it. Originally, the 49ers were touting Brown vs Bly for the starting cornerback spot. Spencer almost appeared in the competition “suddenly,” which should probably imply the coaches started seeing something they liked in him.

I think people have been waiting a long time for Spencer to assert himself and after a few years of injury issues, it’ll be interesting to see if he could hold up this season. Judging by his injury history/luck, though, I’d imagine Brown and Bly better have their stuff ready to go at any given moment.

by sfgfan on Sep 8, 2009 2:10 PM PDT reply actions

I totally agree.

It kinda makes sense to put Spencer out there to start the season if only to see if he can hold up and hold his own. Brown will get in on nickel situations and Bly will play a lot too. We have some depth at a position where in the past we were very thin. At least we have options now. But the best backfield in the world wont make up for a non existent pass rush !!

Briggs is a perfect example of a PS guy. He has all the makings of a good to great player. He has some tools. But he needs time to put them together and adjust to the speed of the NFL. I think the speed and explosiveness of the NFL game takes rookies in all positions by surprise, and they need some adjustment time to let the game slow down for them. Some players NEVER seem to adjust (Alex Smith so far is an example…) The practice squad is the perfect place for these players who are still adjusting. Which is why making the active roster is a vote of confidence from the coaching staff that says they think the player on the active roster is READY to contribute right away.

That fact alone speaks VOLUMES about RJF and Curtis Taylor! Coach Sing knows defense best. He sees something in these 2 young men. Enough to use 2 precious roster spots to keep them on the active roster. I believe that Singletary believes that RJF is going to become our pass rushing answer in time. He has the strength and the speed. He has the NFL ready body. All he needs is reps and opportunities. If RJF DOES become a pass rushing threat, Coach Singletary will look like a friggin GENIUS ! I liked RJF from draft day. The kid’s story is one of opportunities missed and youthful mistakes. I mean he’s only 22 for God’s sake!! The book scandal crap is a common practice with scholarship players. Remember, they don’t get paid to play in college. They get a small stipend to eat and go to school. No money for the movies or dancing. College isn’t all just books and tests. It’s about the atmosphere and the girls, and the parties, and the girls, and oh, did I mention girls? Trading your books for date money isn’t right, but it happens on every major football campus in the country. The fact that he got caught means he ain’t very good at being bad and that is good! He is earning a good paycheck now, so opposing QB’s better have their head on a swivel when this guy is around,….. and the girls in the bay area better too :-)

I guess Curtis Taylor showed the ball coach enough to earn a spot on the roster too. He might be the first guy off though if they find someone on the waiver wire that they really need. Like a legit pass rusher… like Richard Seymour !! . The Niners should have been all over that deal! Come ON JED !!!! Work those phones and bring the talent in! Don’t get beat to the punch by the Silver and Bleak across the BAY !! The guy had 8 sacks last year ! Oh well, I hear they are having problems getting him to come to Alameda, so they might be interested in a trade? They used a first rounder for Seymour, so what if we trade them Barry Sims straight up?? Alice might go for it !! Anyone know what is Sims 40 time is? LOL

But seriously, the Niners could use a DL who is a real threat to get a sack. We have a DL that is great against the run, but don’t collapse the front of the pocket and get real pressure on opposition QB’s The lack of a bona fide pass rush it the Niners #1 concern at this point. Which is all the more reason I am intrigued by Singletary’s decision to keep RJF on the starting roster. What does Coach see in a kid that played in a Top Flight football conference ( the best conference in BCS in my opinion) who played very well when he was on the field at LSU. Who played his best in big games (2007 Defensive Most Outstanding Player in the BCS National Championship Game), and has tremendous upside? Does he see a rough gem that needs polishing ? I am even more excited about RJF than I was on draft day! If this kid is the edge rusher we need to pressure QB’s and he succeeds, there are gonna be a lot of angry GM’s that passed on this kid !!

Sorry Diyral Briggs got waived. If he makes it thru waivers, I really hope he gets a chance at the PS. Another youngster with great upside! I really hope he sticks in the Niner system.

This is the first time in 4 years that the other GM’s in the league are scouring OUR cuts to fill needs on their teams. That speaks volumes about the depth and quality of our reserves. It also says a lot about the talent evaluation abilities of our coaching staff and front office folks! Really excited about this season! I am realistic, but I think .500 is a real possibility! I am pulling for 9-7 and still being in the conversation come playoff time.

Another year, another chance to hope for the team !!

by FaStRmAn on Sep 8, 2009 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Preparing for Clements breakdown?

I don’t know much about this substitution stuff, so this is just wild speculation. Perhaps there is worry that Dre’ may need to come in and replace Nate Clements for a few games. This plan allows Spencer to establish himself once again, and allows Dre’ to come in during nickel situations to ball hawk. Dre’ is more experienced and can sit on the bench for a while as the team tries to figure out what they’ve got in the two corners. Apparently also the coach does care about the work ethic thing, too, and wanted to make Spencer an model to emulate.

by Vertigo on Sep 8, 2009 2:36 PM PDT reply actions

Here's why - 6'1" vs 5'10".

Spencer is three inches taller than either Bly or Brown, who are both 5’10". Given the three players are about equal in talent, the bigger corner matches up better with Fitzgerald and Boldin. His size has always been Spencer’s big advantage. How long he can remain healthy is another question, though. If he can hold up and play well, this is a great move, but it’s still a surprise given his low preseason profile.

by MontanaPass on Sep 8, 2009 3:49 PM PDT reply actions

Curtis Taylor is next on the PS if Crabby signs.

We have good safety depth right now with K. Lewis and Goldson starting and R. Smith and M. Roman behind them. If Crabtree signs this week, Taylor can be moved to the PS with less chance someone will claim him off waivers. RJF will probably not see the PS because good DTs are hard to find and there is always a demand – I see him stepping in when/if there is an injury and doing a good job inside on four-man fronts on obvious passing downs. He’s strong and quick and can get into the backfield.

by MontanaPass on Sep 8, 2009 3:59 PM PDT reply actions

That'd be M. Lewis

Keith is gone. ;-)

by Brendan Scolari on Sep 8, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Playing for the Cards, iirc.

by MontanaPass on Sep 8, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions

They cut him I think.

by Brendan Scolari on Sep 8, 2009 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Taylor

Don’t cut him… he’s the next Ronnie Lott

by NateDavis9ersNextGr8QB on Sep 8, 2009 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Getting Spencer Ready

To take Nate Clements’ spot. Then Brown or Bly can take the right corner. I think we got ripped off with Clements. How much guaranteed money did we give him?

by dartdart on Sep 8, 2009 6:21 PM PDT reply actions

Not as much as the media...

… and the rest of the world thinks. Clements is what he is, a good corner who has had very good moments in the past. It’s unlikely the 49ers replace him any time soon, and it’s delusional to think Spencer/Brown/Bly are better than Clements because a poor preseason.

by sfgfan on Sep 9, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions