San Francisco 49ers: Who Are "The Big Three" in the Bay Area?

With the NFL still months away from any real competition, the sports headlines have been focused around the NBA and NHL.

Of the remaining teams in both leagues, it's been the Miami Heat who have stolen the headlines, as usual. The trio made up of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh is said to be one of the most effective ones in their respective sport.

With a sluggish offseason, the cast of ESPN's NFL Live made an attempt to pinpoint "the big three" in professional football. Between Tedy Bruschi and Damien Woody, the commentators cited groups like:

HOU: Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and Matt Schaub

NO: Drew Brees, Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham

PHI: Jason Babin, DeMeco Ryans and Nnamdi Asomugha

CHI: Matt Forte, Jay Cutler, and Brandon Marshall

Although the 49ers have a trio too, they were once again snubbed by an opportunity of recognition. Even though three of the four mentioned trios are offensive players, the selection of Philadelphia does tell us that they were considering two, if not all phases of the game.

And besides Houston, the majority of these tandems are brand new, so why can’t San Francisco’s be? Babin, Ryans and Asomugha, as well as Forte, Cutler and Marshall, are two groups that are yet to take the field together as teammates. And Graham only had his one great year which was this past season, when the 49ers’ threesome stopped the Saints’ trio.  

San Francisco's big three is made up of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith.

This trio accounted for 23.5 sacks in 2011 (56 percent of the team’s sacks) and a complementary combined nine forced fumbles. All three players bring something unique to the game and make up three very essential pieces that allow the 49ers' 3-4 scheme to work as well as it does.

Patrick is the best overall linebacker in the NFL; Justin is a first-team All-Pro, 2011 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and so much more. Not enough could be said about either player, but they’ve been lucky enough to have been joined by a great up-and-coming talent.

Aldon Smith looks to be a rising superstar in this league if he maintains focus, persistently works on his technique and transitions well into his starting role where the occasional pass coverage is expected. But one thing Smith already does better than 90-plus-percent of the league is rush the quarterback.

The second-year man is an indisputable natural at getting into an opponent’s backfield—more often than not to get hands on the opposing team’s passer. His arrival to San Francisco marked a time when the 49ers could say they had their own “big three.”

When teams game plan, certain players they are facing are highlighted. If you’re playing the Dallas Cowboys, it’s DeMarcus Ware. If you’re playing the New York Jets, it’s Darrelle Revis. The 49ers have three of those players on one side of the ball—consistent players, game changers and closers.

They are the three best players on the league’s top defensive unit, in a record-setting first year as a trio together. 2012 will mark their first year where everyone will be starting, and then, the league might really begin to take notice. One way or another, these three pieces will make sure the 49ers remain tough to contend with.

And if you're an offensive-minded football fan, the new big three is Frank Gore, Randy Moss and Vernon Davis.

The individual resumes of these three players alone are stupendous. One is the all-time rushing leader for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. Another is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer as arguably the NFL’s second-best wide receiver in history. And the third is one of the league’s scariest athletes at his position—a physical freak and a productive true hybrid.

If Moss turns out to be the missing piece to the offense—in terms of a downfield threat—then San Francisco’s offense will be visibly and significantly better in 2012. Even though they play different positions, the combination of Moss and Davis could be a great one.

They are two players that demand double-coverage, and with the intellect of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, with ability to scheme, they will have defenses on their toes all day long. It’s a logistical nightmare for any secondary that faces them in 2012. And whatever success Moss and Davis find together will translate to the other facets of the offense.

Frank Gore is prospering as much as Alex Smith by the added firepower to the 49ers offense as anyone. If San Francisco’s passing attack becomes a threat, for the first time in his career Gore won’t be looking at regularly stacked fronts.

This is going to be a very productive big three in 2012, and it’s disappointing that NFL Live missed on this trio too.

Follow me on Twitter: @DeSimone80