By Lauren
Bosch 8/02/10
Bay Area Sports Drive
49er Drive
When Mike Singletary
proclaimed to San Francisco 49er fans and the media that his team would be
coached to play “smash-mouth football”, questions flew asking how a team
with a smaller offensive line would produce the heavy hitting and blocking
Singletary demanded. Singletary’s desire for a harder hitting offensive
line is a product of needing to protect a quarterback, Alex Smith, who has
produced more questions than answers regarding his talent level since his
drafting in 2005 and to provide running room for running back Frank Gore,
a premiere back in the NFC.
Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye talked about QB Alex
Smith's growth from last year to this year and his expectations for him
this year:
"Well, the first part of that question, 365 days ago to now is night and
day. The expectation, I've been around long enough to know that each year,
no year bleed into the next. So, how you manage the start of the next year
is very important, and the fact that he is more comfortable coming into
this year from a language standpoint and a play standpoint, gives us all
reason to be excited."
Head coach Mike
Singletary talked about the first day of practice for the 2010 season from
49er head quarters, ““First of all it was a good first day. I thought
there was a lot of energy, good communication, and we’re off to a pretty
decent start. I think our guys have a good idea of what they’re doing.
It’s just a matter of pressing the details, and making sure that in
everything we do, we understand exactly what it is we are doing. Not just
being in the right place but making sure that when we are in the right
place; that we are doing the right thing, exactly the way it’s supposed to
be done and that’s the thing that we have to continue to build on. Today’s
practice gives us something to stand on and begin to build. So, from that
standpoint, I thought it was pretty good.”
In recent years, the
49ers have slowly made progress toward a bigger, stronger and more
athletic front line, adding players such as tackle Joe Staley and guard Chilo Rachal to the line-up. The 2010 NFL Draft, however, proved to
be a marked shift in philosophy—suddenly making smash-mouth football the
sole focus for the upcoming season. With two picks in the first round, the
49ers traded up to get Anthony Davis, a 323-pound tackle from Rutgers and
Mike Iupati, a 331-pound guard from Idaho, both highly touted offensive
talents.
Selected 11th
in the 2010 Draft, Davis will be expected to anchor the right side of the
line, opposite Staley. The 6-foot-5 tackle will be facing several new
challenges during his first year in the NFL, namely learning the right
tackle position for the first time. Davis spent his three-year career as a
Scarlet Knight, starting 32 of 38 games as a left tackle.
Davis played organized
football for the first time during his freshman year at Piscataway High
School and would eventually be named as a High School All-American at left
tackle by USA Today. He attended Rutgers and was taught under coach
Greg Schiano, and was named as part of the All-Big East Conference
First-Team as a junior.
A physical athlete,
Davis will be expected to use his quick feet and strong upper body to
control smaller defensive ends and protect from late blitzes off the edge.
Known for dominating in most situations, he will be looked to when
protecting and sealing the edge, while creating holes for Gore to punch
through.
Selected second of the
49ers’ two first-round draft picks (17th overall), Iupati fits
the size at 6-foot-5, and has the athletic ability, attitude and toughness
Singletary expects of his offensive line. Iupati was a three-year starter
at Idaho and started 33 out of 35 games played.
On his impression of G Mike Iupati and T Anthony Davis
now that they are in pads:
"They've
been impressive early on from a physical standpoint. From a physical and
athletic standpoint, particularly Davis, and I think as his condition has
improved, I've seen some things that I didn't see early on in the OTA's
when he was just out of college in the draft and hadn't played football
since the later part of November or early December. They both have a
physical presence about them. They're athletic with big bodies. I don't
see any reason why they won't continue to ascend as they get more familiar
with the language and the system of football that we're playing. Then the
other part of that is the continuity of playing with the other three guys
or four guys. As they do that, as they integrate themselves in to that, I
think we will be very pleased with them going forward."
Iupati’s accolades
stretch across the spectrum for college athletes, being only the second
non-BCS player to be a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He was also named
to the All-American first-team by the NFL Draft Report, The American
Football Coaches Association, Football Writers of America, Walter Camp
Football Foundation, Associated Press and Sports Illustrated.
During Iupati’s time
as a Vandal, he contributed to an offense that ranked 9th in
total offense, led the Vandals to their first winning season in nearly a
decade, and was named first-team WAC and was the only active member named
to the WAC’s All-Decade team.
Iupati’s strength and
awareness on the field has led many scouts to believe he could be a
Pro-Bowl caliber lineman. He’ll be expected to maintain quick feet and use
his strength and athleticism to control the line and use his dominance on
run blocking.
As training camp gets
underway, both rookies will have opportunities to challenge the current
line in the hopes of earning a starting spot for the upcoming season. It
remains to be seen whether Davis and Iupati are the missing links to
Singletary’s smash-mouth style of play, but both rookies give hope for an
instant and long-term upgrade.
Continuity and
familiar faces for the 2010 season:
Singletary touched on
the team being together chemistry wise. “It’s a very good feeling to know
that there can be some continuity. I think that would be the word that
connects everything that we did last year and take in the positives and
beginning to build on those things and let this be a continuation of
building and learning, rather than something new where you are trying to
learn plays. So that’s a very good feeling.”
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