San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 Free Agents on the 2011 Roster to Bring Back

49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and management have offseason decisions about who they can bring back for 2012.
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The 2011 San Francisco 49ers came oh so close.

An opportunity to drive and a field-goal try, and the Niners could be playing in Super Bowl XLVI—not the New York Giants. The second half and overtime defense, as it had consistently been for much of the season, delivered a masterful performance of completely shutting down the opponent.  

The only chances the Giants got to put points on the board after the halftime were the Red and Gold’s own doing. Two special teams fumbles in the fourth quarter and overtime, combined with the offense’s own ineptitude, and San Francisco lost as a team to a squad that finished the regular season 9-7.

New York did enough in the last five weeks to earn their spot on the game's grandest stage. Beating their crosstown and stadium co-tenants in the New York Jets, followed by the Dallas Cowboys in a winner-take-all end-of-the-regular season showdown for the NFC East division title and a playoff berth, the Giants withstood a mid-season collapse, poor play and injuries to get into the postseason.

From there, it was handling the over-matched Atlanta Falcons in their only home playoff contest, followed by the stunners against the Green Bay Packers and the 49ers. They cleaned up their act, got healthy and peaked at the right time.

The Niners would like to have done the same in the health and depth department, as San Francisco fell apart in key areas that the defensive prowess couldn't overcome.

San Francisco has a total of 19 players who can become free agents on March 13, but the team can negotiate with them before the free agency period starts. Here are the top five players on the current roster that the 49ers brass must make a priority to re-sign and bring back for the 2012 campaign.

Ted Ginn Jr., Kick/Punt Returner and Wide Receiver

49ers return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. provides stability to a key position magnified in the NFC Championship against New York.
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Kyle Williams shouldn't have been out there returning kicks in the first place.

With the loss of Ted Ginn Jr. in the NFC Divisional win over the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers were forced to move forward with a combination of starting flanker Williams, whose upward movement on the receiving depth chart is due to Ginn and others, along with rookie tailback Kendall Hunter.

Williams' concussion history, combined with an insatiable drive to be a factor in San Francisco's biggest game in over a decade, charted a course for disaster in the fourth quarter and overtime.

In front of national television audience, Williams first let a punt deflect off his knee early in the final period in regulation, before coughing up the football deep in Niner territory in the extra frame. The Giants made those turnovers costly, with a touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham, followed by the game-winning Lawrence Tynes field goal.

Two turnovers. 10 points. The difference between contending for a Super Bowl and participating in it.

Ginn had a kickoff return and punt return for touchdown in the season opener at home against the Seattle Seahawks. His only scores of the season, they both came with under four minutes remaining in the game and kicked off the Harbaugh era with added momentum from the start.

The former ninth-overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2007, Ginn was third in the NFL in kick return average at 27.6, while he was fourth in the league in punt return average at a 12.3-per-return clip.

If Ginn played in the NFC Championship, it's a strong bet that the 49ers don't turn the football over twice on special teams and maybe he adds a few catches on offense as a starter opposite Michael Crabtree.

That small difference, compounded by the nullification of a stagnant offense and unstoppable defense, could have San Franciscans preparing to watch their team in the Super Bowl, as opposed to already thinking about next season.

Carlos Rogers, Cornerback

49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers found his groove and a new home in San Francisco.
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Six interceptions. Eighteen pass deflections. Forty-four tackles.

In his first year under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Carlos Rogers put the league on notice that he was back.

The former ninth-overall pick by the Washington Redskins in 2005, Rogers had languished on bad teams. He'd played hard and had good stats every other year.

Eighty tackles in 2006. Twenty-four pass deflections in 2008. But never this many picks, which  ranked fourth in the NFL and earned him a selection to the Pro Bowl.

Touted as a shutdown corner out of Auburn, Rogers isn't Darrelle Revis. But he is consistent and physical. And it rubbed off on Tarell Brown and rookie Chris Culliver. It surely contributed to the team's defensive success, both statistically and in their reputation.

Imagine a year with an offseason of organized team activities and workouts with Fangio's full playbook?

Josh Morgan, Wide Receiver

49ers wideout Josh Morgan was starting to put it all together in 2011 before an injury sidelined his season.
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2011 was supposed to be the breakout season for Josh Morgan. The 2008 sixth-round draft choice was coming off 52- and 44-catch seasons. The 49ers were projecting him to be a serviceable, if not consistent, starting wide receiver opposite Michael Crabtree.

At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, with decent speed and hands, as well as down-field blocking, his route-running was improving.

Then came Week 5.

After the previous week's season-changing road victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco was blowing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Candlestick Park. Quarterback Alex Smith had been pulled for backup Colin Kaepernick, and the playcalling was not your conservative run-out-the-clock variety. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted to see what the rookie from Nevada could so slinging the rock.

Morgan remained the game, received a pass on a crossing route from Kaepernick and had a lane to the end zone. Tackled short of the goal line, he clutched his ankle.

Broken. Ballgame. End of Morgan's season.

With one reception between Crabtree and Kyle Williams—the starting wideouts—against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship, Morgan could have provided another weapon. Should he heal and prove to the 49ers that he's healthy, able and ready to go, his return should be sealed quickly, regardless of who else management elects to bring in through free agency or the amateur draft.

Dashon Goldson, Safety

49ers safety Dashon Goldson is a heavy hitter in the team's defensive scheme.
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While Ted Ginn Jr. and Carlos Rogers are former first-round picks brought in from other teams, Josh Morgan and Dashon Goldson are later-round developments that the 49ers saw promise in from the beginning.

The fourth-round steal from 2007 out of Washington, Goldson has performed well under previous schemes, but he became an breakout, impact player in 2011 under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Notching 67 tackles and six interceptions, the latter placing him fourth in the league with his teammate Rogers, Goldson became a mainstay in center field with fellow safety Donte Whitner.

Goldson's play against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional, as well as leading up to it in a three-week December stretch in which he notched a interception in home wins over St. Louis and Pittsburgh and tough road loss at Arizona, was instrumental to the roll that the 49ers defense had been on for much of the 2011 season.

Keeping the defense intact is a primary objective for San Francisco. Goldson is a big part of that.

Alex Smith, Quarterback

49ers quarterback Alex Smith delivered his best professional season in 2011, with signs of even more good things to come.
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Highest quarterback rating and completion percentage for his career.

Five interceptions in 16 regular season games.

Alex Smith had a big rebound year.

Organizing team workouts during the NFL lockout, Smith grabbed the playbook from head coach Jim Harbaugh and a vote of confidence that he'd still be under center as the starter in 2011 and went to work.

The work paid off. Particularly in the playoffs. While Smith's completion percentage was down to about half his throws, instead of the over 60 percent clip during the regular season, he had five touchdowns to zero interceptions and a 101 passer rating. Mix in the end-of-the-game theatrics with his touchdown scamper on a designed bootleg and the difference-making scoring toss to Vernon Davis, and Smith had an incredible year all things considered.

Still, there's work to be done. And an offseason with Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman can only help. This season, Smith failed to throw for over 300 yards in any contest, and he racked up a modest 7.1 yards-per-attempt clip. But he showed effectiveness as a running threat.

A two-year deal would give Smith enough security without getting complacent that the job is his for the longer term.