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Not long before the 49ers‘ memorable season ended, rookie fullback Bruce Miller recalled the forgettable way it began.
On Aug. 12, the Niners visited the Saints in their preseason opener and Miller, a college defensive end who had never played fullback at any level, was completely lost.
His primary problem? The seventh-round pick kept breaking the huddle without knowing the play call.
“I was just so new to offense in general,” Miller said. “Especially our play calls, they’re pretty wordy and lengthy. So by the time I’d realized what the first part of it was, he’d already said the second part and I’d miss it every time. I was trying to keep up and I would skip over things.”
Nearly six months later, however, Miller has finished his first season as the Niners’ only rookie starter and was named a Pro Bowl alternate this week. In other words, his maturation mirrored that of his team, whose unsightly 24-3 loss in that exhibition opener appeared to foreshadow failures to come.
Instead, the Niners, a group with a first-year coach who came together in late July after the lockout, went 13-3 in the regular season, earned their first postseason win in nine years and came within a whisker of reaching their first Super Bowl since 1995.
And in the aftermath of their 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game, several players delivered a similar message: That was good, but the best is yet to come.
The Niners have 16 starters under contract for next season, including eight from a dominant defense whose suffocating performance against the Giants last week inspired this headline in the Wall Street Journal: “OK, Now That Was a Defense.”
Now, with an offseason that will include organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps, they can take care of some unfinished business. Among the items on their list: installing the rest of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s playbook.
“There were a lot of things we left out of our playbook because it was just too complicated to have in,” safety Donte Whitner said. “Coach Vic has more for us if we can get those OTAs and those minicamps, and get together in training camp, to get almost a full playbook installed. … That’s scary knowing that we can get a lot better on defense.”
Said linebacker Patrick Willis: “With a full training camp under our belt, I wonder how much more dangerous we could be, understanding the defense and offense and understanding the schemes. We’re going to see.”
Taking their cues from coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers dismissed the effect of the lockout during the regular season. With their season over, though, they expressed excitement over the chance to spend a full offseason with a well-respected coaching staff that appears as if it will remain intact.
Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Brad Seely was reportedly a candidate to become the Colts’ head coach, but Indianapolis hired Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano on Wednesday. The Niners assistants have not been connected with the NFL’s only other remaining head-coach opening in Tampa Bay.
Center Jonathan Goodwin said his first season in San Francisco was reminiscent of his first year with the Saints in 2006. That year, New Orleans, like the Niners, improved by seven wins from the previous season and lost in the NFC Championship Game.
Goodwin knows from experience that similar success won’t necessarily follow for San Francisco. After their breakthrough season, the Saints missed the playoffs in 2007-08. Still, Goodwin can’t help but feel optimistic given what the Niners accomplished under less-than-ideal circumstances.
“Nobody ever really wanted to use it as an excuse, but it’s tough to come in a training camp and learn an offense and be great,” Goodwin said. “It will be interesting to see what can potentially be done with a normal offseason and coming into camp kind of ahead of the curve.”
49ers free agents
The Niners have 19 players who are set to be free agents when the league year begins March 13, but the team can negotiate with them before free agency begins. Quarterback Alex Smith and cornerback Carlos Rogers have both indicated a desire to work out a deal with San Francisco before March 13:
Unrestricted free agents: LB Ahmad Brooks, LB Blake Costanzo, WR Ted Ginn Jr., S Dashon Goldson, LB Tavares Gooden, WR Joshua Morgan, TE Justin Peelle, RG Chilo Rachal, CB Carlos Rogers, FB Moran Norris, QB Alex Smith, S Reggie Smith, OL Adam Snyder, S Madieu Williams.
Restricted free agents: LB Larry Grant, DB C.J. Spillman, WR Brett Swain
Note: The 49ers can match any offer these players receive from other teams.
Exclusive-rights free agents: CB Tramaine Brock, DT Will Tukuafu.
Note: These players are free agents in name only and must accept the 49ers’ salary offer which must meet the NFL minimum requirements.
On Aug. 12, the Niners visited the Saints in their preseason opener and Miller, a college defensive end who had never played fullback at any level, was completely lost.
His primary problem? The seventh-round pick kept breaking the huddle without knowing the play call.
“I was just so new to offense in general,” Miller said. “Especially our play calls, they’re pretty wordy and lengthy. So by the time I’d realized what the first part of it was, he’d already said the second part and I’d miss it every time. I was trying to keep up and I would skip over things.”
Nearly six months later, however, Miller has finished his first season as the Niners’ only rookie starter and was named a Pro Bowl alternate this week. In other words, his maturation mirrored that of his team, whose unsightly 24-3 loss in that exhibition opener appeared to foreshadow failures to come.
Instead, the Niners, a group with a first-year coach who came together in late July after the lockout, went 13-3 in the regular season, earned their first postseason win in nine years and came within a whisker of reaching their first Super Bowl since 1995.
And in the aftermath of their 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game, several players delivered a similar message: That was good, but the best is yet to come.
The Niners have 16 starters under contract for next season, including eight from a dominant defense whose suffocating performance against the Giants last week inspired this headline in the Wall Street Journal: “OK, Now That Was a Defense.”
Now, with an offseason that will include organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps, they can take care of some unfinished business. Among the items on their list: installing the rest of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s playbook.
“There were a lot of things we left out of our playbook because it was just too complicated to have in,” safety Donte Whitner said. “Coach Vic has more for us if we can get those OTAs and those minicamps, and get together in training camp, to get almost a full playbook installed. … That’s scary knowing that we can get a lot better on defense.”
Said linebacker Patrick Willis: “With a full training camp under our belt, I wonder how much more dangerous we could be, understanding the defense and offense and understanding the schemes. We’re going to see.”
Taking their cues from coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers dismissed the effect of the lockout during the regular season. With their season over, though, they expressed excitement over the chance to spend a full offseason with a well-respected coaching staff that appears as if it will remain intact.
Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Brad Seely was reportedly a candidate to become the Colts’ head coach, but Indianapolis hired Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano on Wednesday. The Niners assistants have not been connected with the NFL’s only other remaining head-coach opening in Tampa Bay.
Center Jonathan Goodwin said his first season in San Francisco was reminiscent of his first year with the Saints in 2006. That year, New Orleans, like the Niners, improved by seven wins from the previous season and lost in the NFC Championship Game.
Goodwin knows from experience that similar success won’t necessarily follow for San Francisco. After their breakthrough season, the Saints missed the playoffs in 2007-08. Still, Goodwin can’t help but feel optimistic given what the Niners accomplished under less-than-ideal circumstances.
“Nobody ever really wanted to use it as an excuse, but it’s tough to come in a training camp and learn an offense and be great,” Goodwin said. “It will be interesting to see what can potentially be done with a normal offseason and coming into camp kind of ahead of the curve.”
49ers free agents
The Niners have 19 players who are set to be free agents when the league year begins March 13, but the team can negotiate with them before free agency begins. Quarterback Alex Smith and cornerback Carlos Rogers have both indicated a desire to work out a deal with San Francisco before March 13:
Unrestricted free agents: LB Ahmad Brooks, LB Blake Costanzo, WR Ted Ginn Jr., S Dashon Goldson, LB Tavares Gooden, WR Joshua Morgan, TE Justin Peelle, RG Chilo Rachal, CB Carlos Rogers, FB Moran Norris, QB Alex Smith, S Reggie Smith, OL Adam Snyder, S Madieu Williams.
Restricted free agents: LB Larry Grant, DB C.J. Spillman, WR Brett Swain
Note: The 49ers can match any offer these players receive from other teams.
Exclusive-rights free agents: CB Tramaine Brock, DT Will Tukuafu.
Note: These players are free agents in name only and must accept the 49ers’ salary offer which must meet the NFL minimum requirements.
