San Francisco 49ers: Ranking Antoine Bethea and the Rest of 2014's New Additions
Every year, each NFL team undergoes many significant changes. Free agents leave, starters retire and rookies are rotated into the starting lineup. It’s the mark of truly successful teams when these replacements slide right into their roles, keeping everything moving along nicely.
The San Francisco 49ers had quite a bit of turnover from 2013. Key contributors such as Jonathan Goodwin, Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown have left the team, while other players such as Tramaine Brock, NaVorro Bowman, Glenn Dorsey and Aldon Smith have missed most or all of the season with injuries and suspensions.
The 49ers have had to juggle in a wide variety of new moving parts so far this season, as they’ve plowed to a 4-3 record at their bye.
As it is a bye week, I thought it was a good time to look back and see how these new players are doing in their roles this season. Have players lived up to their expectations? Have they exceeded them? Who might need to be replaced again in the offseason this year?
To qualify for this list, a player needs to have played 100 offensive or defensive snaps for the 49ers this season, while not reaching 300 snaps last year. That gives us 15 players—some are free-agent acquisitions, some are rookies, some are backups moving into the starting lineup for the first time and some are players returning from season-ending injuries.
The 49ers have gotten good performances from players coming from all sorts of origins, but who has been the best so far? Let’s go through them all, from least effective to most so far in 2014.
15. RT Jonathan Martin
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Category: Trade (From Miami for a seventh-round pick)
2014 Stats: 4 sacks allowed, 1 quarterback hit, 14 quarterback hurries (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
To be fair, it wasn’t the 49ers’ plan to start Jonathan Martin. The 49ers traded a conditional draft choice for him as a reserve tackle, but he was thrust into the starting lineup, thanks to Anthony Davis’ ongoing injury concerns.
Martin didn’t leave Miami thanks to his play, but he didn’t exactly light up the field when he was there. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Martin allowed 13 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 62 quarterback hurries in his season-and-a-half as a starter for the Dolphins. He’s sort of picked up where he left off in San Francisco.
He’s struggled on the edge against the Justin Houstons and William Hayeses of the world. On Sunday’s broadcast, the announcers mentioned how good Colin Kaepernick had been scrambling to his left. Part of the reason he’s had to do that is the fact that his right tackle has been something of a turnstile to this point in the season.
Martin hasn’t been much better in the run game, either—the 49ers have better per-carry averages on plays running away from Martin than toward him, per PFF. He also hasn’t been good at avoiding penalties—it was his 15-yard clipping penalty against Arizona that pushed the 49ers out of field-goal range in what was then a 20-14 game in the fourth quarter.
All in all, the 49ers should be very happy to have Anthony Davis back going forward.
14. OG Joe Looney
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Category: Backup moved into more prominent role
2014 stats: 2 QB hits and 5 QB hurries allowed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
Joe Looney has been the second-worst player on the 49ers, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, but that’s almost entirely due to the game against Denver. A career backup going against the likes of Von Miller and Brandon Marshall isn’t exactly a great matchup.
Throw out that one game and Looney’s been very solid, only allowing one quarterback hurry in two starts and significant reserve time. He’s had to fill in for both Alex Boone and Mike Iupati and been borderline competent on both sides of the line. He’s not going to make anyone think he’s the next great offensive guard, but he’s done his job and not been a huge drain.
He’s still pretty clearly backup quality. His versatility and ability to play anywhere on the inside of the line—he was the emergency center against the Broncos when Daniel Kilgore and Dillon Farrell went down—is a key asset. There’s a level of comfort knowing that the 49ers can plug Looney in, and he won’t immediately get Colin Kaepernick crushed.
Still, it’s much better to see Looney on the bench than in the starting lineup.
13. RB Carlos Hyde
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Category: Rookie (second-round pick out of Ohio State)
2014 stats: 48 attempts for 161 yards and two touchdowns; six catches for 12 yards
Despite being arguably the best back in the draft, Carlos Hyde hasn’t had the best rookie season so far—Bishop Sankey in Tennessee, Branden Oliver in San Diego and Jerick McKinnon in Minnesota, to name three, have all had better rookie seasons so far.
At only 3.4 yards per carry, Hyde hasn’t exactly been lighting up the field, but there’s some small caveats here. He’s had some powerful-looking runs, especially in Week 1 against Dallas. He’s also done a surprisingly good job in pass protection—for a rookie who wasn’t asked to do it in college, at least.
My biggest problem with Hyde so far is the fact that 11 of his 48 attempts have gone for zero or negative yards, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. In college, Hyde was a straight-ahead runner who could always gain extra yardage, and he hasn’t quite shown that same level of power yet on the NFL level.
I’m blaming most of it on both rookie jitters and the relatively poor play of the offensive line to this point. It’s far too early to count Hyde out—it’s important that he’s getting reps and learning to play at the NFL level. I just had higher hopes for his performance by this point in the season.
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12. SCB Jimmie Ward
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Category: Rookie (first-round pick out of Northern Illinois)
2014 stats: 14 receptions on 21 targets for 134 yards and three touchdowns, two passes defensed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
If Jimmie Ward had called in sick against the Chicago Bears back in Week 2, he’d have had a very solid rookie season to this point. He would have allowed less than 10 receptions, kept all of his opponents out of the end zone, and would have generally been looking like an average veteran player—which is great for a rookie.
Of course, he did play against Chicago, where Brandon Marshall victimized him for three touchdowns. Rookie Ward against a Pro Bowler like Marshall, especially one with a five-inch height advantage, was not a good matchup at all.
Other than that, however, Ward has been pretty solid. He had a pretty darn good game against Arizona, deflecting passes intended for Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd; it was just lost in the fact that the 49ers lost that game.
There have still been growing pains, and I wonder if he’ll get bumped down to dime corner when Tramaine Brock, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox are all healthy at the same time, but Ward’s done enough to at least get a positive nod.
11. RILB Michael Wilhoite
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Category: Backup moved into more prominent role
2014 stats: 26 tackles
Replacing NaVorro Bowman is a tall task, and Michael Wilhoite’s been up and down when thrust into this more significant role. He’s not exactly going to have anyone forgetting the stud middle linebacker, but Wilhoite’s performance has been enough to keep the 49ers from feeling they have to rush Bowman back from injury.
Wilhoite’s made some major plays, including this hit on Larry Fitzgerald to force a fumble to keep the 49ers alive against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. He also leads the team in assists, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
He just lacks the oomph 49ers fans are used to in the middle of the lineup—he’s clearly a backup playing a starter’s role, rather than a starter-in-waiting, if that makes sense. He’s getting a lot of praise for his work in relief, including from Bowman himself, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, but I’m not sure I see it. Hopefully, Bowman will return before the end of the season.
10. RCB Chris Culliver
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Category: Returning from Injury (torn ACL)
2014 stats: 19 receptions on 33 targets for 261 yards and one touchdowns, one interception, one pass defensed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
Chris Culliver’s been about league average this season, but that might not be enough to remain as a starter, thanks to the return of Tramaine Brock and the remarkable season by Perrish Cox.
When we last saw Culliver healthy, he was an up-and-down corner in 2012, and he’s continued that trend into 2014. He’s been victimized by some long passes, including a 29-yard reception by Alshon Jeffery that helped drive the stake into San Francisco’s comeback attempt in Week 2, and this Michael Floyd reception the next week.
He’s also been key in some turnovers—not just his interception, but this touchdown return on a fumble by DeMarco Murray from Week 1. He’s been on the end of big plays for both teams—a true boom-or-bust cornerback.
I prefer consistency in my defenders, but Culliver’s been OK so far. Honestly, his 17 tackles, mostly in the run game, have been the part of his game I’ve enjoyed the most so far; he was key in bottling up Darren Sproles and LeSean McCoy in Week 4. When all the 49ers’ cornerbacks are healthy, they have an intriguing secondary.
9. WR Brandon Lloyd
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Category: Free Agent
2014 stats: 10 receptions for 252 yards and one touchdown
If football was only played on the Red Zone channels, then Lloyd would be one of the best players in football. His 80-yard touchdown against the St. Louis Rams has been the most impactful play of the season so far for the 49ers. He made another great catch against Kansas City, leaping and laying out in the air, to go along with a 38-yarder earlier. He’s been the 49ers’ big-play machine.
I can’t have him any higher than this, though, because Lloyd’s only a part-time weapon. His 10 receptions have almost all been big ones, but that’s still only 10 receptions in seven games. He's a great pickup, but it’s hard to say he’s been the best new player so far. Now, if only he gets some more work in the second half of the year…
8. TE Derek Carrier
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Category: Backup moved into more prominent role
2014 stats: Eight receptions for 99 yards
But if Lloyd can only rank ninth with 10 receptions, what’s Carrier doing here with only eight?
Carrier was thrust into a starting role in Week 3 when injuries to Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald meant the 49ers were down to their third-string tight end, and Carrier delivered. The practice-squad veteran from tiny Beloit College stepped up and played admirably, especially in the blocking game against Arizona.
Carrier is an interesting developmental prospect—he has essentially all of Beloit’s receiving records under his belt, and he might be a better pass-catcher than second tight end Vance McDonald. He beat out Garrett Celek for the third tight end slot and did some very interesting things in limited time.
With Vernon Davis struggling and McDonald fumbling reception, you can make an argument that Carrier has been the best tight end on the team to this point.
7. CB Dontae Johnson
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Category: Rookie (fourth-round pick out of North Carolina State)
2014 stats: 6 receptions on 13 targets for 46 yards and two touchdowns, one interception, two passes defensed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
Dontae Johnson, who fell to the fourth round in this year’s draft due to being newly transitioned from safety to cornerback, has all of a sudden started moving up San Francisco’s cornerback depth chart. He seems to be above veteran Chris Cook as the dime cornerback at the moment, and he’s flashing some of that athleticism that made the 49ers gamble on him in this year’s draft.
One of the two touchdowns he allowed really isn’t his fault—he got picked by the umpire in the Denver game, and was unable to continue covering his man. That might be a rookie mistake on his part, but it’s hard to blame a player for being out of position when a referee gets in his way. Other than that, he’s been very solid in coverage.
His highlight play of the season so far was his interception, a pick-six against the St. Louis Rams to seal the victory. He’s been getting significant playing time the last two weeks, with very good results. It’ll be interesting to see what role he takes on when all the 49ers’ cornerbacks are back and healthy.
6. LOLB Aaron Lynch
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Category: Rookie (fifth-round pick out of South Florida)
2014 stats: One sack, three QB hits, 11 QB hurries (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
Last and highest in our little three-player run of “backups who deserve more playing time” is Aaron Lynch, who has been the 49ers’ pass-rusher of choice during Aldon Smith’s suspension.
Lynch plummeted to the fifth round due to character concerns, but they haven’t been an issue to this point in the season. Instead, Lynch has looked lights-out as he’s crashed around right tackles, moving quarterbacks all over the place. He was constantly in the backfield against Nick Foles in Week 4 and Alex Smith in Week 5, and he finally got his first NFL sack against Peyton Manning last week.
When Aldon Smith returns, there will still possibly be a position for Lynch—at least, I hope the 49ers find a way to keep using him. He’s been a better pass-rusher than Ahmad Brooks so far this season. A Lynch-Smith-Patrick Willis-NaVorro Bowman linebacking corps might be the 49ers’ best lineup at this point.
5. SS Antoine Bethea
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Category: Free agent
2014 stats: 15 receptions on 24 targets for 177 yards and one touchdown, one interception, one pass defensed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
When the 49ers decided to let Donte Whitner leave and sign free agent Antonie Bethea for a similar amount of money, you had to wonder. Bethea is 30 years old, surely approaching the back side of his career, and must be getting ready to see a drop-off in his performance, right?
Well, not so much. Bethea has provided a much-needed veteran presence in San Francisco’s surprisingly good secondary, and he ranks as a top-10 safety in PFF’s grades, even with Sunday’s nightmare game against the Broncos.
He’s made several key turnovers—an interception and a forced fumble against Philadelphia stand out—and he's generally been a steady presence in the back. He justly won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award against Philadelphia and has replaced Whitner without missing a beat. That’s all you can really ask out of a free-agent pickup.
4. LCB Perrish Cox
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Category: Backup moved into more prominent role
2014 stats: 21 receptions on 41 targets for 305 yards and one touchdown, three interceptions, six passes defensed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
There has not been a bigger surprise this season for the 49ers than Cox’s rise to prominence. Coming in after Brock suffered an injury in Week 1, Cox has been the 49ers’ top shutdown corner and key turnover machine on defense. Like Whitner, Cox is ranked in the top 10 at his position by PFF, as opposing quarterbacks are putting up a 53.4 quarterback rating when throwing at him.
Adding to his three interceptions, Cox has recovered two fumbles this season—he picked up the fumbles caused by both Bethea and Wilhoite we mentioned earlier in this slideshow. He’s done enough to keep a starting job, even when both Brock and Culliver are healthy.
3. C Daniel Kilgore
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Category: Backup moved into more prominent role
2014 stats: six quarterback hurries allowed (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required)
It’s a shame that Kilgore is out for the season with a broken left leg, because he was one of the top linemen the 49ers had this season, especially in the run game. Taking over for longtime veteran Jonathan Goodwin, Kilgore barely missed a beat.
This was Kilgore’s first season starting after receiving a new contract in the offseason, and it will be interesting to see what his role is for the 2015 49ers. They’ll have Kilgore, Marcus Martin, Mike Iupati, Alex Boone and Brandon Thomas all as legitimate starting candidates for three slots.
My far-too-early guess is that Kilgore will regain his starting center job next season, with Boone and Martin at guards. Iupati would leave in free agency, while Thomas would get a season as a backup in after redshirting this year.
Here’s hoping Kilgore recovers quickly and returns to the form he showed in the first half of this year.
2. NT Ian Williams
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Category: Returning from injury (Broken ankle)
2014 stats: One sack, 16 tackles
The 49ers are playing “devastating injury roulette” with their nose tackles. Last year, Ian Williams was made the starter, replacing Isaac Sopoaga. He broke his ankle in Week 2, however, and Glenn Dorsey took over, playing very well.
This year, it was Dorsey’s turn to be injured, and Williams reclaimed the job—and he’s done nothing but show why he was given the job to begin with back in 2013.
Williams has been a sponge, soaking up blockers and letting the defenders around him look even better. His 15 defensive stops are one behind Antoine Bethea to lead the team, per PFF (subscription required), and he’s done it on nearly 300 fewer snaps.
If the 49ers can ever get Williams and Dorsey healthy simultaneously, they’re going to have a decision to make. Until that point, they have to be glad they have two really good starting nose tackles under contract.
1. WR Stevie Johnson
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Category: Trade (from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick)
2014 stats: 25 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns
Stevie Johnson's presence gives the 49ers three competent receivers for the first time in over a decade, going back to the era of Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice and J.J Stokes. For once, the third receiver for the 49ers is actually outperforming starters on other teams, such as Cleveland and Kansas City. It’s definitely not something the 49ers have been used to recently.
They’re not just any catches, either—Johnson’s receptions have been some of the most important the team has this year—18 of his 25 catches have either resulted in a first down or a touchdown.
His season highlight? Take your pick:
Do you like his 31-yard reception against Denver while the game was still close?
This 12-yard toe-tapping touchdown against Philadelphia?
What about the short pass he turned into a 32-yard gain against Arizona? Or his key conversion on 4th-and-1 in that same game?
The list goes on and on. That’s why I feel Johnson has been the best new player in San Francisco’s scheme this season.
Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.
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