San Francisco 49ers: The 5 Most Valuable Players in 2011

I want to examine the five most valuable players for the San Francisco 49ers so far in 2011.

The San Francisco 49ers' MVP, or most valuable person, this year has been coach Jim Harbaugh. He has changed the culture and brought life to this scuttled franchise.

But players are the ones who determine the outcome of the games, not coaches.

The 2011 49ers squad isn't much different than last year's, but the results have been significantly different. 

At 7-1, the 49ers trail only the red-hot Green Bay Packers for the best record in the league.

Let's look at the five main men who have contributed to this drastic turnaround.

"Ice" Isaac Sopoaga

Isaac Sopoaga is like duct tape—he is useful anywhere you put him. 

Besides anchoring the best front seven in football, Sopoaga is an integral part of the 49ers' "big" package on offense. He is a battering ram among battering rams. The man is obscenely strong, as his 42 x 225 pound bench press performance documents. 

Sopoaga has been involved in around a dozen plays on offense per game this season. He isn't simply a bull in a china shop, however. His 18-yard reception in the second half against the Cleveland Browns was brilliant. He actually looked fluid while catching and then running with the ball.

Having a tool in his belt as versatile as Sopoaga has allowed and will continue to allow Harbaugh and Greg Roman to stretch opposing defenses to the limit.

Dashon Goldson AKA "The Hawk"

Whether he is catching an interception at just the right moment or he's laying wood on an opponent, Dashon Goldson is having a career year.

Goldson had a tough offseason. He was hoping to cash in on free agency, but he overvalued his worth. 

In the end, he came right back home to San Francisco and signed a one-year deal worth $2 million.

The 49ers are getting the best of this deal so far, as Goldson is playing with a chip on his shoulder. He spearheads a secondary that has become a turnover-creating machine.

I just hope the 49ers' front office doesn't make the same move twice and let Goldson hit the market again next year. Time to lock him up for a long time. 

NaVorrow Bowman: Did Harbaugh Learn How to Clone?

I know, I know—Bowman wouldn't be able to do what he does without Patrick Willis. 

Chicken...egg.

Bowman's meteoric rise to stardom has caught even the most devoted fan off-guard. I was among the few who actually said I wanted the 49ers to let Spikes go in favor of the younger, faster Bowman.

But I didn't expect to see Willis 2.0. Not this soon, and maybe not ever.

Bowman is lethal in the running game, knifing through the cracks in the line to penetrate enemy territory and gobble up running backs.

Bowman is like a king cobra in the passing game. Whenever someone catches a ball underneath the zone, he is there almost instantly to pounce on the man.

His elite play has allowed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to do some unique things. Patrick Willis is now covering tight ends one-on-one a lot of times as if he were a cornerback.

Bowman is one of the main reasons the 49ers' defense is the best in the NFL.

Carlos Rogers: Better Than Asomugha

When the 49ers lost out on the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes this past offseason, many folks rolled their eyes when the team signed Carlos Rogers instead.

Some consolation prize he turned out to be.

Rogers has always been regarded as a top flight cover guy, but the knock on him has always been that he possesses butterfingers. 

Not this season.

His three interceptions lead the team with one of them going back as a pick-six.

Rogers has been able to effectively give the team what it had been missing for years now: a legitimate No. 1 cornerback.

His stellar play has allowed the defense to significantly tighten up and give up far fewer big plays over the top for touchdowns.

Nnamdi who?

Frank Gore: Solid Gold

Frank Gore is now only 148 yards away from claiming the honors for the most yards rushing all time for the San Francisco 49ers. 

Will he overtake Joe Perry against the New York Giants? He just might.

Gore has run for 634 yards in the last five games for the 49ers. He is the only running back in team history run for more than 100 yards in five consecutive games.

It is safe to say Gore is currently locked into "beast mode." He is simply devouring opposing defenses. 

Gore's explosion is back, and his vision is as sweet as it ever was. He is undoubtedly the MVP of the San Francisco 49ers so far in 2011.