Dorsey Has Given 49ers Strength in the Middle

The 49ers weren't quite sure what they were getting when they signed Glenn Dorsey last offseason.Dorsey, who'd been a dominating force in college at LSU, was an acclaimed first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, but had never lived up to his billing. Then, last offseason, the 49ers signed him to a two-year free-agent deal to add more depth and quality to the offensive line. In the preseason, Ian Williams won the starting nose tackle job, and it was expected that Dorsey would back up Williams while also spelling defensive ends Ray McDonald and Justin Smith.Instead, when Williams was injured in Game 2 against the Seahawks in 2013 and lost for the year, Dorsey became the starting nose tackle in the 3-4 defense and a key to the team's defensive effectiveness.He played all 16 games, had 41 tackles and two sacks, but it wasn't necessarily the stats that were reflective of Dorsey's work. The real measure of his worth was seen each week, with Dorsey getting inside penetration, blowing up blockers and drawing double teams that allowed the 49ers linebackers and fellow linemen to make plays.Bill Williamson, who covers the 49ers for ESPN.com, listed Dorsey, 28, as one of the team's...