Do we need an upgrade at NT?

Originally posted by 23zack80:
Do we need an upgrade at NT? No: Franklin is solid. Would an upgrade be nice? Yes: The NT is very important in a 3-4, if we could get all-pro play from the position, we would have a scary defense.

yea i agree. he played pretty well after sing took over but theres still room for improvement at that position.

Originally posted by jojomellon:

Originally posted by 49erman5692:
because i feel that Franklin isnt at a level of dominance, plus he is just a nolan guy.

I would love to trade maybe a 2nd for Shaun Rodgers.

And Id like to trade a 4th for Haloti Ngata, but that aint gonna happen either.

I'd like to go back in time to the 2006 Draft and select Haloti Ngata instead of Vernon Davis.

Originally posted by NinerNay20:
Besides free safety, this is absolutely our biggest area of concern on defense. Considering we run the 3-4, a Haloti Ngata type of player is essential. Forget trying to shuffle around the players we have in hopes of finding a solution because the right player just isn't on our roster, yet.

Agreed, plus Soap had better numbers than some of the big names in the NFL.

Yes! We need someone to step up, be groomed that is on our squad or draft them

yes

Originally posted by 49erman5692:
what do you all think of shaun rodgers???

Would love to have him or Wolfork, but probably wont ever happen..

We need another Michael Carter to emerge.

No, isn't that what we drafted kentwan balmer for?

Franklin has been ok to decent but nothing spectacular. For this reason, I don't think that it's absolutely NECESSARY for an upgrade, but there is room for improvement.

-9fA

Originally posted by PRIMETIME21:
No, isn't that what we drafted kentwan balmer for?

I think both Matts have stated that SF has plans to at least try Balmer at NT. Back in the day, Nolan said they would look at him for DE or NT. I never imagined Balmer as a NT ( 1 or 2 gap ), but guess he's worth a look if they see something in him there. Ideally, I'd love to see Sopoaga impress as a 1-gap NT, and Balmer as an emerging LDE talent.

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by PRIMETIME21:
No, isn't that what we drafted kentwan balmer for?

I think both Matts have stated that SF has plans to at least try Balmer at NT. Back in the day, Nolan said they would look at him for DE or NT. I never imagined Balmer as a NT ( 1 or 2 gap ), but guess he's worth a look if they see something in him there. Ideally, I'd love to see Sopoaga impress as a 1-gap NT, and Balmer as an emerging LDE talent.

I agree. Balmer seems more like the protypical DE in the 3-4. He's tall, quick, strong, long arms, etc. The thing I've noted about the most successful NT's in the 3-4 over the years is that they are wide-bodied (not tall and lean), have a low center of gravity, get excellent push, are ferocious, consistent, unmoveable and can get a good push up the middle even with consistent two-blockers against him.

I don't see anyone on our roster who fits this mold. Franklin was a 3rd string NT in Baltimore before we nabbed him and made him a starter. He's an average player and will have spurts of solid play but he still does not command many double teams (those go to Smith generally) and RB's still have no problems running up the gut which should not happen with a dominant NT.

And to add to that, the difference between a NT and DE in the 3-4 is night and day. Would anyone consider using Wilfork, Williams, Ngata as DE's on a consistent basis or Phillips, Olshansky or Seymour as a NT? Sure, in certain alignments, once in a while but going "hybrid" and thinking all of these guys are interchangeable at any time is NOT productive. Again, we need prototypical players at each position and who can become specialists and excel at their clearly defined positions. There should be no question that when you draft a Ngata or a Balmer HE knows where he fits. We saw the Nolan perspective ruin careers and set back player development for years.

So, do we need an upgrade at NT? No question! It's THE key ingredient to building a dominant front 7. The FS is much less of a concern with a dominant front 7.

I wouldn't mind this guy being our starting NT

I think we're gonna see enough improvement from our D this year that this thread will be irrelevant

I would be fine with Cody, if he has a good year and his conditioning is acceptable (all things considered). Another prospect that I am interested in is...

Boo Robinson from Wake Forest ( 6' 2" - 325 lbs )



Stout cow in the middle that has upper tier agility and rush ability.

Well I wanted Raji more than any other player in the draft...but if Franklin can play like he played when Sing took over, than I don't see a reason for trying to find an "upgrade"