Golden Nuggets: Are the 49ers better

Here we go again with a brand new season. Most of us are pretty excited about the improvements our team has made. The big question is whether those improvements will equate to more 49er wins. Most people tend to think we improved the most on offense but I disagree.

Are you kidding me? Picking up Richard Sherman was gigantic. Not only does his presence increase the talent level in the defensive secondary but his leadership should be instrumental in the continuing development of Ahkello Witherspoon and Adrian Colbert.

At inside linebacker you have the addition of Fred Warner who Saleh thinks is one of the most intelligent defensive players he has ever met. Then we have Malcolm Smith back. While I am not a huge fan of Malcolm Smith, he gives us depth at the position and I would rather see him playing than Brock Coyle.

I know a lot of people don’t see any improvement to the defensive line but I think having Arik Armstead healthy with both Solomon Thomas and DJ Jones returning for their second season should be a big improvement. I think they are going to be seriously hard for offensive lines to block. We could still use an outside pass rush specialist but hopefully those players will give us a very disruptive inside pass rush in the meantime.

Back to the question in the title, “are the 49ers a better team”? We can be Homers on paper but our win loss record over the next sixteen weeks will be the only real answer to that question. It is all about winning.

Now onto the hot links:

49ers vs. Vikings Preview: Bret Rumbeck

Long journey brings Mike Person back where he started Matt Maiocco

Richard Sherman has ‘butterflies Chris Biderman

Sherman predicts lockout Alexis Mansanarez

John Lynch says 49ers didn’t go all-in on Mack Chris Biderman

Tarvarius Moore plays in memory of late sister Brad Almquist

49ers open against Vikings’ top-ranked defense Eric Branch

49ers shuffle practice squad by swapping defensive linemen Kyle Madson

George Kittle is ‘Ready to Roll’ Joe Fann

Joe Staley on the Chip Kelly season: ‘That year of my life was the worst time I’ve ever had playing football’ David Bonilla