Nose Tackle 2013...

Who will be the starter? or better yet who will step up?

Soap is gone..Mixed bag in 2012

Ian Williams can he step up?

Glenn Dorsey former 1st round pick.?


or what is the 49ers Gameplan along the D-LINE?

Looks like it should be Dorsey to start with Williams and maybe Dial challenging him in training camp

We dont seem to line up to often with a NT,I cant see any drop off in this position with Soap gone...maybe even an improvement

Originally posted by Montana1977:
Looks like it should be Dorsey to start with Williams and maybe Dial challenging him in training camp

Yeah, the 9ers have to be high on Williams. Did he crack the active roster at any point during last season? Dial seems like more of a project at this point, taking Ian's spot.

Dorsey will thrive with the 49ers. His role with the Chiefs changed each year. The team rewarded Ian Williams with an extension, each time they've extended a player that player produced way past his contract value.

do we really need a true NT ? ...Very Rarely do teams try to pound the ball on us , we have been so good against the run , teams usually go pass happy on us, which explains why we play a lot of 4-2-5 ...this year our secondary is improved , and teams wont be so reluctant to pass on us

Dial is a true NT IMO. He offers next to nothing in the pass rush department and is a typical run stuffing DT. I think he'll see some snaps in the base defense. Dorsey was not signed to play NT but could see some time there if Dial ends up not being worthy of any real snaps and thats definitely a possibility.

Should have drafted john jenkins........

Like most 49er fans, I'm loathe to quote Grant Cohn, but he did actually provide meaningful insight recently: http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/2013/03/inside-the-49ers/the-49ers-defensive-scheme/

On base downs, the 49ers use a nose tackle, but that does not mean they use a 3-4. In a 3-4, the nose tackle lines up directly over the center in a zero-technique position, and the ends line up on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackles in a five-technique position – creating three "bubbles" at the line of scrimmage. The 49ers don't do this. The 49ers base defense is a 4-3 Under, a variation of a four-man line. The defensive ends are not five-techniques. The ends are reduced, or "eagled down," over the outside eye of the guards to three-techniques, and the outside linebacker – Aldon Smith – essentially is a stand-up defensive end.

The nose tackle is a one gap player. He lines up between the center and guard in one-technique position. The strong safety usually plays the eighth-man-in-the-box concept, even from depth, just so nobody along the front has to be a two-gap defender.

Glenn Dorsey, the 49ers' newest defensive tackle, played five-technique for the Chiefs and was not successful, but the 49ers will not ask him to play five-technique. They're going to ask him to play three-technique or one-technique, classic 4-3 positions, the positions he played in college.

In base downs, Dorsey will play the one-technique. He's the unquestioned started, IMO. The camp battle will be between Ian Williams and Quinton Dial for the back-up position. Williams likely has an edge as a pure, 0-technique NT, but that's not really a fit for our defense. With our emphasis on versatility, our back-up NT also needs to be able to play as an impact DT as an interior pass-rusher in our 4-2-5 scheme. I think Dial has the edge at back-up there.

The biggest change is that Dorsey can play all three downs, if we need him.

So our base 3-4 line is Smith, Dorsey, and McDonald. Our back-ups at DE will likely be Carradine, Dial, and Tukuafu. Our back-ups at NT will be Dial and Williams.

In our nickel 4-2, our line is Smith, Smith, McDonald, and Brooks. Dorsey and Carradine can rotate in (and Carradine can play inside or outside). Lemonier and Haralson and Johnson are depth for the outside. Dial may be part of this rotation as well, though he and Williams are less likely due to the need for a pass-rush in this set.

I see nothing wrong with the D Line now. Dorsey and Williams together will more than man the NT spot, I too wish we had drafted Jessie Williams, but I guess the coaching staff saw that the forementioned players can do the job, so Im rollin wit them. I think Dial becomes RJF replacement at LDE, moreso than NT. Carradine of course is the heir to J.Smith (he's up to 290lbs. now, and healed-being held out as a pre-caution). So 6 guys that can all be activated on game day- again I see nothing wrong.

Originally posted by toppdogg32:
I see nothing wrong with the D Line now. Dorsey and Williams together will more than man the NT spot, I too wish we had drafted Jessie Williams, but I guess the coaching staff saw that the forementioned players can do the job, so Im rollin wit them. I think Dial becomes RJF replacement at LDE, moreso than NT. Carradine of course is the heir to J.Smith (he's up to 290lbs. now, and healed-being held out as a pre-caution). So 6 guys that can all be activated on game day- again I see nothing wrong.

Where did you hear that Carradine is up to 290?


And yeah I think Dorsey should be able to hold down that nose tackle spot, although he's only around 300.

Dorsey. And they will rotate guys. Hopefully they are right about Williams and can be a solid back up, or worse comes to worse he takes over the job if Dorsey proves to be a bust.

Originally posted by NinerG94:
Dial is a true NT IMO. He offers next to nothing in the pass rush department and is a typical run stuffing DT. I think he'll see some snaps in the base defense. Dorsey was not signed to play NT but could see some time there if Dial ends up not being worthy of any real snaps and thats definitely a possibility.

I thought there were comments from either Baallke or JH stating that he will be playing NT.

The 49ers don't run a traditional Base 34 defense. The "NT" position that Sopoaga played the past two seasons is really an "Under Tackle" alignment where he's not directly over center and doesn't have 0-technique responsibilities that Aubrayo Franklin did when we ran a traditional 34 under Manusky.

Teams can employ a "Under" front on either a 43 or 34 which is why it's so effective and can be run as long as you have a decent sized athlete at DT (doesn't need to be a behemoth like Wilfork).

So in my opinion, Dorsey fits the role perfectly because it's what he played at LSU except it was run from a 43 formation (but interior duties are the same). Dobbs can play it as well.

I think bringing in Quentin Dial and re-signing Ian Williams gives us the ability to go to a traditional Nose Tackle look IF WE WANT TO (luxury). Fangio now has even more flexibility.

I'm confident Dorsey and Williams can handle NT...I'm looking forward to seeing the big man, Dial out there. Fangio really has a lot more flexibility and power now and I freakin' love it.