Ranking San Francisco 49ers' Top 10 Players Currently Under Contract
The San Francisco 49ers’ record was 8-8 last season. They fired one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL and replaced it with coaches other teams didn’t want.
It stands to reason that the 49ers’ record will be worse than 8-8 in 2015.
Coaching matters in football. It matters more in football than in any other sport. Football is a choreographed game. It’s not free-flowing like basketball.
But talent matters, too. Even the best football coaches can’t win with bad players.
For a team that may finish under .500 next season, the 49ers have some excellent players. Here are the top 10 49ers currently under contract.
1. Aldon Smith
1 of 10
Who was that guy wearing No. 99 last season?
I suppose it was Aldon Smith, but it looked like just another guy off the street. He had two sacks in seven games and was one of the worst players on the 49ers defense last season.
I’m guessing last season was a fluke.
The NFL suspended Smith for nine games in 2014, and he wasn’t allowed to practice during that period. He wasn’t in football shape when he returned after the suspension.
The only way to get in football shape is to practice and hit and play games. You can’t get in football shape in the gym.
Smith was in football shape the first three seasons of his career when he recorded 42 sacks in 43 games. There is no reason for him not to be in football shape this season. He should finish 2015 with 15 sacks.
2. NaVorro Bowman
2 of 10
NaVorro Bowman was the 49ers’ best player in 2013 before he tore his left ACL and MCL in the 2014 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Bowman was the best defensive player in the entire league that year. Luke Kuechly won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but Bowman should have won it. He had 120 solo tackles; Kuechly had 99. Bowman had five sacks; Kuechly had just two. Bowman forced four fumbles, Kuechly forced none.
Bowman was the Willie Mays of linebackers before he injured his knee. He could do everything—stop the run, blitz and cover running backs and tight ends.
If he can return to 90 percent of what he was before the injury, he still will be a premier player in the league.
3. Patrick Willis
3 of 10
Some people think the 49ers should trade Patrick Willis to make room in the starting lineup for second-year linebacker Chris Borland.
Dream on.
Some people seem to forget how good Willis is. He injured his toe last season and missed 10 games. So what? He should make a full recovery, and he’s only 30 years old.
Willis is still the best linebacker in the NFL when it comes to covering tight ends. Most teams rely on their strong safety to cover the opposing tight end. Not the Niners. That’s Willis’ job, and it’s one of the most difficult jobs on the defense.
Willis is a crucial piece of the 49ers’ present and future.
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4. Justin Smith
4 of 10
Darnell Dockett was an excellent signing by the 49ers, but they still need Justin Smith.
Smith hasn’t said whether or not he will play in 2015. He has one year left on his contract. He turns 36 in September, and he may retire.
If he chooses to retire, the 49ers will lose their fourth-best player.
Smith plays a particular position extremely well. Football coaches call it “3-technique.” Don’t ask why. Basically, it’s the right defensive tackle. Smith lines up in front of the left guard’s left shoulder. For years, Smith has been arguably the best right defensive tackle in the NFL (J.J. Watt is a defensive end).
Now that Smith is flanked by two good pass-rushers (Aldon Smith and Darnell Dockett), opposing offenses can’t focus as much on stopping Justin Smith. He could have eight sacks in a season for the first time since 2010.
That's if he doesn’t retire.
5. Joe Staley
5 of 10
In 2012, Joe Staley was the best tackle in football. Period.
In 2013, Staley’s play began to erode, but he was still a top-five tackle in the NFL.
In 2014, his play continued to erode. Not so much his run blocking, but his pass protection. He allowed 25 pressures for the first time since 2010 according to Pro Football Focus.
Staley turns 31 in August. He still is a cornerstone of the 49ers’ running game, one of the best run-blockers in the league. But how much longer can he protect Colin Kaepernick’s blind side? In a few years, Staley may have to switch to right tackle or possibly guard.
The Niners should consider drafting a long-term replacement.
6. Anquan Boldin
6 of 10
Anquan Boldin is the 19th-leading receiver of all time. He is 3,529 yards away from passing Terrell Owens as the second-leading wide receiver of all time.
Could Boldin eventually pass Owens?
Why not?
Boldin might have passed Owens already if he had played in pass-first offenses his whole career. He still has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in the 49ers’ run-first offense.
Boldin has limitations. He’s slow. He’s not a vertical threat. The opposing defense doesn’t worry too much about him on 3rd-and-15.
But on 3rd-and-7, Boldin is the best receiver on the planet. There is no one better at converting 3rd-and-medium than Boldin.
Boldin turns 35 in October. He’s arguably as good as he was when he was 25. He could keep playing for a long time.
7. Anthony Davis
7 of 10
Anthony Davis is underrated.
Right tackles don’t get much attention. Davis may be the best right tackle in football.
He’s not the quickest tackle, so he’s vulnerable when he is matched up against speed rushers. But he is a monster in the running game.
He played only seven games last season. His absence may have hurt the 49ers more than the absence of NaVorro Bowman or Patrick Willis. The 49ers defense was fantastic without Bowman and Willis last year. But without Davis, the Niners’ running game fell apart.
When Davis played, the 49ers running backs averaged 4.95 yards per carry on runs to the right—Davis’ side. When he didn’t play, the Niners running backs averaged just 2.6 yards per carry running to the right.
If he stays healthy, the 49ers should have a terrific running game in 2015.
8. Bruce Miller
8 of 10
Somehow, Bruce Miller hasn’t made the Pro Bowl even though he’s the best fullback in the NFL.
Miller is just as vital to the 49ers’ running game as Joe Staley and Anthony Davis. Miller is the 49ers’ lead blocker and he crushes linebackers. He’s 254 pounds, 24 pounds heavier than 49ers all-time great 49ers fullback Tom Rathman.
Rathman was known for his receiving ability more than his blocking ability; he averaged 8.4 yards per catch in his career.
Miller is averaging 9.1 yards per catch in his career. He might be an even better receiver than Rathman was. But Rathman caught 320 passes, and so far Miller has caught only 66.
He is underutilized.
9. Antoine Bethea
9 of 10
Five current 49ers have played in at least three Pro Bowls—Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, Anquan Boldin and Antoine Bethea.
The 49ers signed Bethea to replace Donte Whitner, who signed with the Browns for $7 million per year last offseason. The 49ers signed Bethea for less than $6 million per year.
As it turns out, Bethea is better than Whitner. Whitner is a liability in pass coverage, so much so that the 49ers hardly let him cover anyone.
Bethea is excellent in pass coverage. He allowed a microscopic 50.3 passer rating when quarterbacks targeted him last season according to Pro Football Focus.
Bethea is the best 49ers defensive back since Merton Hanks.
10. Alex Boone
10 of 10
Alex Boone used to be an afterthought on the 49ers offensive line.
For years, the 49ers’ best running play was a simple power run to the right featuring Mike Iupati as the pulling blocker.
Iupati injured his leg in the 2014 NFC Championship Game, and he wasn’t the same player last season. He couldn’t pull and move like he used to.
So, Boone became the 49ers’ primary pulling blocker. And he was good.
The counter play to the left became the 49ers’ best run. And Boone made that play work. He moves quicker than you would expect of a 6’8”, 300-pound man.
Some team probably will pay Boone a ton of dough when he hits free agency in 2016. The 49ers should plan ahead and draft his replacement this offseason.
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