Does Aubrayo Franklin suck now?

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by jones49:

Originally posted by backontop:
Ask Ray Lewis what happens when you have a NT that can't occupy blockers. Franklin isn't doing what is needed to from him and it shows. time to see what RJF can do. Throw him in the rotation and see how he performs.

Meh, Franklin definitely isn't playing like last year but I'm not ready to pull him in favor of RJF. He's still decent and has his moments.

The point NCommand is making, and I agree with, is that Franklin is a one-gap player who surprised some teams last year by not playing NT in typical two-gap fashion. However, once teams had a chance to look at film of him, they designed blocking schemes to neutralize his quickness. Since he doesn't have the brute strength to play two-gap, it now forces the 49ers to adjust as it has clearly influenced the play of Willis.

RJF is another Franklin, a good DT but not beefy enough to be a two-gap NT.

All this takes us back to a fundamental decision that Sing/Manusky need to make: do they try to make do with Franklin/RJF at NT, or switch up to a 4-3 with them at DT. They don't have the one key element that you must have to play 3-4.

For next season, the HC, whoever that is, will have to make the same choice. Draft a NT or go to 4-3.

Agree but they are gonna have to wait til next year b/c Sing/Manusky aren't smart or knowledgeable enough to switch them back to a 4-3 mid season. Will just over confuse the players at this point. It's just another head scratcher on why not young talent was added at this position.

some quotes from a recent article
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?entry_id=74540

Mike Singletary was asked Wednesday if nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin has struggled to hold the point against the run.

Singletary answered by reminding everyone how Franklin refused to sign his franchise-tag deal until the end of training camp.

"I think Aubrayo, sometimes when a guy doesn't go through training camp, it shows," Singletary said. "But he's continued to make progress. He'll get where he needs to go. He'll get where he needs to be, and we'll get there together."

So what does Franklin have to say about all this?

"I feel like I'm where I should be right now," Franklin said Wednesday. "I think I picked up where I left off last year."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/detail?entry_id=74540#ixzz12LJfXOE1

[ Edited by lamontb on Oct 14, 2010 at 07:16:49 ]

Polls like this are so dumb.
I don't think the guy sucks, however I'm happy we didn't/aren't going to resign him long term.

Originally posted by Sjceruti:
Polls like this are so dumb.
I don't think the guy sucks, however I'm happy we didn't/aren't going to resign him long term.

It isn't that he is playing poorly. He is playing about like he did last year, or at least he is trying to play like he did last year. However, therein lies the problem. In the NFL, nothing ever stays the same for very long. Teams pay staff to look at film of players on other teams to look for possible weaknesses or tendencies that they can exploit. In the case of Franklin, it appears teams has seen that he often tries to slant quickly through a gap instead of trying to hold his position against the center and a guard. As a result, opponents coach their center to read his slant and block him that way, thereby leaving the opposite guard to take on Spikes and a pulling guard or fullback to block Willis. That is a more sophisticated approach than teams took last year, and it is working to neutralize Willis and the effectiveness of the defense.

That isn't the only reason the defense is not performing as well as last year but it is one of the reasons. If the 49ers want to regain the level of effectiveness they had last year, they will have to react with something to counter what opponents are doing.

Originally posted by SybErkRimInAL:

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by GoldenIowa49er:
ricky jean is now my lover

how did i miss that.

thriller

Another position we haven't fixed. I remember when we passed on Vince Wilfork, I was PISSSSSSSSSSSSED!!!! I say put in RJF cuz he looks like a baller a dump Fat Frank.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLisPAT5Ooc&feature=player_embedded

Originally posted by JaaDogg49:
Another position we haven't fixed. I remember when we passed on Vince Wilfork, I was PISSSSSSSSSSSSED!!!! I say put in RJF cuz he looks like a baller a dump Fat Frank.

RJF is lighter than Franklin. He is close to a carbon copy. Both are stopgaps until a true NT arrives, or they switch to a 4-3.

This is another example of why the GM and the coach have to be on the same page AND the coach MUST adapt the system to match the talent. Right now, the 49er talent is best suited for a 4-3 but Nolan put the 3-4 in place. They lack a NT and an OLB that can rush the passer. They would be better in the 4-3 with Smith and McDonald coming off the edge and Sop and Franklin at DT. Willis would have more room because the guards would have to be occupied with the DTs thereby leaving Willis more room than he is getting now.

Watched him specifically this very morning in each snap of the last game. Yes, his play has returned to poor, for the most part. He was getting moved out of rush lanes too easily by pretty subpar OL, and offering nothing in the pass rush. On 1 play, he was driven out and planted on his face by McGlynn. ( I know, right... who? ) He was largely responsible for the big McCoy TD to make it 17-7, and was also a huge fail in allowing Kolb to run 18 yards to convert a 3rd and 17.

Looks like we have our answer. He's taking his 7 million and not giving 100% anymore.

Free RJF !!!!

Originally posted by oldman9er:
Watched him specifically this very morning in each snap of the last game. Yes, his play has returned to poor, for the most part. He was getting moved out of rush lanes too easily by pretty subpar OL, and offering nothing in the pass rush. On 1 play, he was driven out and planted on his face by McGlynn. ( I know, right... who? ) He was largely responsible for the big McCoy TD to make it 17-7, and was also a huge fail in allowing Kolb to run 18 yards to convert a 3rd and 17.

Looks like we have our answer. He's taking his 7 million and not giving 100% anymore.

Free RJF !!!!

Those were a couple of the plays I noted where teams are using his one-gap technique against him.

Problem with RJF, he plays the same way. Singletary, to his credit, coached Franklin to use one-gap technique as a means to be more effective. That caught a lot of teams by surprise and it worked quite well last season. Problem with that, as I pointed out above, is that teams scouted him and now use his limited technique against him...and that is hurting the overall run defense.

So it will be up to Manusky/Sing to see if they can now adjust to what opponents are doing. As I said, conditions are right to switch to a 4-3, at least in pass rush situations. Bring in an extra DT alongside Franklin, take out Spikes and let Smith and McDonald pass rush from the outside. Once they begin to do that, start working on that as a run base as well. I don't see any other way they can compete in a 3-4 with the personnel they now have.

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by oldman9er:
Watched him specifically this very morning in each snap of the last game. Yes, his play has returned to poor, for the most part. He was getting moved out of rush lanes too easily by pretty subpar OL, and offering nothing in the pass rush. On 1 play, he was driven out and planted on his face by McGlynn. ( I know, right... who? ) He was largely responsible for the big McCoy TD to make it 17-7, and was also a huge fail in allowing Kolb to run 18 yards to convert a 3rd and 17.

Looks like we have our answer. He's taking his 7 million and not giving 100% anymore.

Free RJF !!!!

Those were a couple of the plays I noted where teams are using his one-gap technique against him.

Problem with RJF, he plays the same way. Singletary, to his credit, coached Franklin to use one-gap technique as a means to be more effective. That caught a lot of teams by surprise and it worked quite well last season. Problem with that, as I pointed out above, is that teams scouted him and now use his limited technique against him...and that is hurting the overall run defense.

So it will be up to Manusky/Sing to see if they can now adjust to what opponents are doing. As I said, conditions are right to switch to a 4-3, at least in pass rush situations. Bring in an extra DT alongside Franklin, take out Spikes and let Smith and McDonald pass rush from the outside. Once they begin to do that, start working on that as a run base as well. I don't see any other way they can compete in a 3-4 with the personnel they now have.

I had not yet read through, but I am also a big supporter of bringing back the 4-3 to our D. Here's a post a had on this recently...

Quote:
Yeah, I'm not exactly agonizing away over it, but it just makes more sense to me. Franklin is not "earning" his 7 mil this year, and there seemed minimal chance we keep him anyway. Coaches look at Willis and know how good he already is... some of them must realize how much better he can still be with more protection up front. Our DL are no more a fit for 3-4 vs 4-3. Our OLBs are easily better as 4-3 players. There's just no good reason not to consider it... other than it's not "trendy" and that we have to make sure we get (have) enough at rush DE. Manusky can't get consistent, good play from this much talent. Send him and his 3-4 packing.

I'd be really excited about it, but as you suggest, each year it just seems to be the pipe-dream never actualized.

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by oldman9er:
Watched him specifically this very morning in each snap of the last game. Yes, his play has returned to poor, for the most part. He was getting moved out of rush lanes too easily by pretty subpar OL, and offering nothing in the pass rush. On 1 play, he was driven out and planted on his face by McGlynn. ( I know, right... who? ) He was largely responsible for the big McCoy TD to make it 17-7, and was also a huge fail in allowing Kolb to run 18 yards to convert a 3rd and 17.

Looks like we have our answer. He's taking his 7 million and not giving 100% anymore.

Free RJF !!!!

Those were a couple of the plays I noted where teams are using his one-gap technique against him.

Problem with RJF, he plays the same way. Singletary, to his credit, coached Franklin to use one-gap technique as a means to be more effective. That caught a lot of teams by surprise and it worked quite well last season. Problem with that, as I pointed out above, is that teams scouted him and now use his limited technique against him...and that is hurting the overall run defense.

So it will be up to Manusky/Sing to see if they can now adjust to what opponents are doing. As I said, conditions are right to switch to a 4-3, at least in pass rush situations. Bring in an extra DT alongside Franklin, take out Spikes and let Smith and McDonald pass rush from the outside. Once they begin to do that, start working on that as a run base as well. I don't see any other way they can compete in a 3-4 with the personnel they now have.

I had not yet read through, but I am also a big supporter of bringing back the 4-3 to our D. Here's a post a had on this recently...

Quote:
Yeah, I'm not exactly agonizing away over it, but it just makes more sense to me. Franklin is not "earning" his 7 mil this year, and there seemed minimal chance we keep him anyway. Coaches look at Willis and know how good he already is... some of them must realize how much better he can still be with more protection up front. Our DL are no more a fit for 3-4 vs 4-3. Our OLBs are easily better as 4-3 players. There's just no good reason not to consider it... other than it's not "trendy" and that we have to make sure we get (have) enough at rush DE. Manusky can't get consistent, good play from this much talent. Send him and his 3-4 packing.

I'd be really excited about it, but as you suggest, each year it just seems to be the pipe-dream never actualized.

The switch would be relatively easy. Justin Smith played DE in a 4-3 at Cincy. McDonald was a DT but his quickness would be better suited at DE, IMO. That would leave Sop (who is having a good year), Franklin and RJF as DTs and all have played that spot before.

Originally posted by dj43:

The switch would be relatively easy. Justin Smith played DE in a 4-3 at Cincy. McDonald was a DT but his quickness would be better suited at DE, IMO. That would leave Sop (who is having a good year), Franklin and RJF as DTs and all have played that spot before.

An immediate switch could present problems... just in sheer speed at the DE spots. It may take time for Justin Smith and RayMac to get back down in weight to be more effective as DEs. I'd also look at shifting Justin to LDE, and using a mix of Brooks, LaBoy, Haralson as RDEs. We can have lots of rotation on the DTs with, Sop, RayMac, Franklin, and RJF.

Until we start cutting down on the soft CB cushions we give, we'll never generate an appropriate pass rush. And now with this 3-4, we can't even stop the run well enough < sigh >

He sure is not playing like he did last year.

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by dj43:

The switch would be relatively easy. Justin Smith played DE in a 4-3 at Cincy. McDonald was a DT but his quickness would be better suited at DE, IMO. That would leave Sop (who is having a good year), Franklin and RJF as DTs and all have played that spot before.

An immediate switch could present problems... just in sheer speed at the DE spots. It may take time for Justin Smith and RayMac to get back down in weight to be more effective as DEs. I'd also look at shifting Justin to LDE, and using a mix of Brooks, LaBoy, Haralson as RDEs. We can have lots of rotation on the DTs with, Sop, RayMac, Franklin, and RJF.

Until we start cutting down on the soft CB cushions we give, we'll never generate an appropriate pass rush. And now with this 3-4, we can't even stop the run well enough < sigh >

All true.

I expect Smith could play in a 4-3 now. McD seemed to gain weight slowly so he might lose it more quickly. Also, less weight but be easier on his knees, which have been a problem for him on the inside.

It may not be as hard to shift back as many of the 49er players came from 4-3 systems in college.

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by JaaDogg49:
Another position we haven't fixed. I remember when we passed on Vince Wilfork, I was PISSSSSSSSSSSSED!!!! I say put in RJF cuz he looks like a baller a dump Fat Frank.

RJF is lighter than Franklin. He is close to a carbon copy. Both are stopgaps until a true NT arrives, or they switch to a 4-3.

This is another example of why the GM and the coach have to be on the same page AND the coach MUST adapt the system to match the talent. Right now, the 49er talent is best suited for a 4-3 but Nolan put the 3-4 in place. They lack a NT and an OLB that can rush the passer. They would be better in the 4-3 with Smith and McDonald coming off the edge and Sop and Franklin at DT. Willis would have more room because the guards would have to be occupied with the DTs thereby leaving Willis more room than he is getting now.

I would like to see the 4-3 at least tried sometimes. I think for sure it would help the run d. But I'm not sure it would help with pass rush at all. Our d-line ends and our outside backers, none rush the passer very good. Except smith.