Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy - Offensive Line Analysis

San Francisco 49ers

2008 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Joe Staley
Left Guard: Adam Snyder / Chilo Rachal
Center: Eric Heitmann
Right Guard: David Baas
Right Tackle: Jonas Jennings

2007 Injuries:
T Jonas Jennings: Weeks 5 and 8 to 17
G Justin Smiley: Weeks 10 to 17

2007 Statistics:

LEFT END		LEFT TACKLE		MID/GUARD		RIGHT TACKLE		RIGHT END		Passing
ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	Sacks	Rank
3.29	26	4.34	16	4.27	11	4.6	9	4.09	16	55	31

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The San Francisco 49ers finished tied for last place in 2007 with 55 sacks allowed but were a little better in the running game with a slightly above league average 4.1 yards per carry. The 49ers made a big move in the 2007 NFL Draft by trading their fourth round pick in 2007 as well as a first round pick in 2008 in order to select Joe Staley at the 28th spot. Staley was a very solid selection but the 2008 first round pick turned into the 7th overall pick which in hindsight seems like a very steep price. This line underwent major changes in the off-season and it is one of the hardest to evaluate with center Eric Heitmann being the only player returning to the same position that he played in 2007. Starting RG Justin Smiley signed with the Miami Dolphins in the off-season and starting LG Larry Allen is expected to announce his retirement.

At tackle, the 49ers can count on 2007 first round pick Joe Staley who is likely to move back to his natural LT position, and the oft-injured Jonas Jennings who should move to the right side of the line. This move is likely to pay off for the team as it is difficult to count on a player who has missed 27 of the 48 regular season games since signing with the team to protect Alex Smith’s blind side. Staley was a tight end in his freshman year and managed to become much stronger without losing much speed. He is an excellent pass blocking tackle because of his great footwork and quickness which is the main reason why he should be a better fit on the left side. His run blocking is below average for an NFL tackle but he should improve in that area as he is a very hard worker willing to do anything in order to become a better player. On the right side will be Jonas Jennings, a very strong tackle at 6’3” and 330 lbs. Jennings has lost some speed and recently underwent surgery on his ankle but he is one of the best players on the line when healthy.

The guard position will be totally changed in 2008 with both starters from 2007 leaving the team. The very versatile Adam Snyder is expected to start at left guard for the 49ers in 2008. He replaced Jonas Jennings at left tackle after he went down with an ankle injury and also has starts at right guard and left guard since being drafted by the Niners in 2005. Snyder is a good backup but is not likely someone the 49ers want to count on as a starter. For that reason, the 49ers selected Chilo Rachal with their second round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Rachal will bring very stiff competition and many expect him to win the job in training camp. He is a very big and strong blocker at 6’5” and 315lbs but lacks technique and will struggle against quicker defensive linemen. He is a good run blocker who should open up holes in the running game and could start right away after facing some excellent opponents in the Pac-10. David Bass, second round pick in 2005, is expected to start on the right side. Baas replaced Justin Smiley after he went down with an injury in week 9 and started the last eight games of the regular season. The Niners averaged 4.0 yards per carry with Baas in the lineup and 4.2 with Smiley in the lineup while the sack totals were also very similar. Baas however suffered an injury in the spring and is likely to miss most of training camp which could allow Snyder to keep his job at left guard and Rachal to win the job on the right side. Jeb Terry will provide depth at guard after being signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tony Wragge will also return as a backup but neither is expected to see much action.

Eric Heitmann will return as the starting center for a third consecutive season after playing at guard in his first few NFL seasons. Heitmann suffered a broken leg at the end of the 2006 season which seemed to bother him throughout the season. He is a below average center who will open up holed in the running game but hit lack of mobility make him a weakness for this line in pass protection. The 49ers were evidently concerned about his play and drafted Cody Wallace out of Texas A&M in the fourth round. Wallace is a very smart player with decent size but his slow footwork could cause him problems against much faster NFL defensive linemen. Heitmann is likely to retain his starting job and improve his play now that he is fully recovered from his injury but Wallace will push him and could win the job in a year or two.

2008 Outlook:
There were quite a few changes made to the 49ers line in the off-season and it is difficult to predict how the players will react and if they will build a chemistry. First, the loss of Justin Smiley should not be too difficult to overcome since Baas started the final eight games and his play was very similar to Smiley’s. The tackle position should be improved with Staley moving to his more natural position and Jennings would be a big upgrade over Snyder if he does play but either way it is better to be weak on the right side than on the left side like in 2007. This leaves the loss of Larry Allen as the only one that could really hurt this team. Allen was a leader in the locker room and the team averaged only 4.4 yards per carry in the five games that he missed in 2006 as opposed to 5.3 in the 11 that he played. His performance was however decreasing and he was one of the reasons for the 55 sacks allowed in 2007. Overall, the line should be much better in pass protection than it was in 2007 because of Joe Staley making the move to the left side but the running game could see a slight decrease in performance because of the loss of Larry Allen as a run blocker.

Information provided by members of forums.49ers.com