From strength to concern, questions surround 49ers O-line

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http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/strength-concern-questions-surround-49ers-o-line


SANTA CLARA -- The position group that figured to be the 49ers’ greatest strength is now the largest area of uncertainty as the team heads into the exhibition season.

The 49ers’ offensive line is generally regarded as one of the tops in the NFL. The only problem is that three starters from last season will not be on the field to protect quarterback Colin Kaepernick when the exhibition season opens Thursday at the Baltimore Ravens.

Here is how the 49ers stack up on the offensive line after two weeks of training camp:

Right guard: Alex Boone remains a holdout. He does not plan on reporting to camp without a new contract. The 49ers appear steadfast in their stance that they will not negotiate a new contract until he reports. Boone is paid like a backup. And he was a backup when he signed his deal in November 2011. He is no longer a backup. All indications are that he's not looking to break the bank, but the standstill remains.

An argument can be made that Boone has been the 49ers’ best guard since he took over as a starter in 2012. And, really, there’s no argument that Boone is the 49ers’ third-best offensive tackle. He could probably start at tackle for most teams in the league.

The good news: Joe Looney has looked solid in Boone’s place. The 49ers are keeping their fingers crossed that Looney can perform like he did when he got onto the field for extensive playing time against the St. Louis Rams last season.

[RELATED: 49ers' Looney taking advantage while Boone holds out]

Right tackle: Anthony Davis said he sustained a shoulder injury in Week 3 of last season. But it wasn’t until April 24 that he revealed that he had recently undergone surgery to repair the damage.

Obviously, Davis was not able to have a full offseason of strength training. And he still has not been cleared to practice. He will not be on the field Thursday against the Ravens. There’s been no timetable for his return to action. If he’s ready for the regular season, there have to be questions whether he’ll be in tip-top condition to perform.

[REWIND: Davis undergoes shoulder surgery]

Jonathan Martin has taken over at right tackle with the starting unit. The first couple weeks of camp have been rough at times. Martin had his hands full against the 49ers’ defensive line. Lawrence Okoye and Tony Jerod-Eddie have planted Martin on his backside during pass-rush drills.

Center: The 49ers had no interest in re-signing veteran Jonathan Goodwin. Daniel Kilgore has been used as an additional blocker in short-yardage situations for a couple of seasons. He appears to have a sizable lead in the competition over rookie Marcus Martin, who missed time at the beginning of camp due to an ankle sprain.

Kilgore is definitely ready from a physical standpoint. However, so much of a center’s job is mental. That’s where Goodwin could be missed. After all, Goodwin had 12 years of NFL experience of identifying defensive fronts and making critical adjustments.

[REWIND: Training camp preview: Offensive line]

Left guard: Mike Iupati is back to full strength from the fractured left lower fibula sustained in the NFC Championship game at Seattle. It was a clean break, which meant a straight-forward recovery and rehab.

Iupati is entering the final year of his original five-year contract. He is in line for a massive contract on the open market next spring. There is no indication the 49ers are close to a contract extension with the two-time Pro Bowl performer.

Left tackle: The 49ers’ best offensive player in training camp has been Joe Staley -- no question about it.

And Staley is certainly one of the most-valuable players on the team, too. Without Boone in camp, the 49ers do not have a proven, serviceable backup at the most important spot on the offensive line.
 

Dodgersrf

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They better get it together.
He'll is coming Monday October 13th.

Or going into it, if you want to get technical.
 

OC_Ram

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Will i be as satisfied with a Rams victory over a gimped 9ers team?....... yep.... with a little luck Staley goes down in week 1 and the 9ers fall out of the race early. But i'd rather see Colon Kap get his bicep snapped then he can kiss the cast.
 

Yamahopper

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If the 49'ers can't run the ball they are toast out of the gate. They tried going up tempo with the passing game early last season and it didn't work with Kappernick.
 

RamFan503

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Having a wee bit of a hard time feeling sorry for them. Oop - that wee bit is gone and I'm having an extremely hard time feeling sorry for them. Looky there. Now I CAN'T feel sorry for them.
 

RamsOfCastamere

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Awww the poor 9er line. I would like to beat them full strength, but I could care less about that. Remember when we had that season where the entire team was injured and we were signing guys off the streets, probably one of the most injured teams in NFL history? Remember how no one cared at all? Who cares about what-if scenarios, a win is a win and a lost is a lost.
 

The Rammer

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Your turn to suck it Whiners! Enjoy the injury issues weve suffered for the longest time!
 

Fatbot

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Gotta love the SF whiner newspapers. They aren't allowed to just report bad news matter of fact, they have to lace it with ass-kissing and overrating.
 

mr.stlouis

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Holy cow, Johnathan Martin is starting at RT??? That's shocking and it says a lot. They got problems...
 

PrometheusFaulk

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As long as Staley and Iupati man those left side positions, it's a formidable run blocking group. But the defense is starting to look a little thin.
 

fearsomefour

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Will i be as satisfied with a Rams victory over a gimped 9ers team?....... yep.... with a little luck Staley goes down in week 1 and the 9ers fall out of the race early. But i'd rather see Colon Kap get his bicep snapped then he can kiss the cast.
They certainly were not concerned when the Rams have been hammered with injuries.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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As long as Staley and Iupati man those left side positions, it's a formidable run blocking group. But the defense is starting to look a little thin.

Iupati and Staley are great run blockers but Iupati can be a chump in pass defense and he is a hot head that gets frustrated at times.

Chris Long owns Anthony Davis. That is my favorite matchup in the trenches to watch.

The Niners were dumb to let Goodwin walk. They will definitely miss him. He was their second best Olineman the last two years. And if Boone isn't resigned then they are fools. The article said he would take a modest contract. He is a very good Guard and to let him go until he comes in is a mistake. Having options on the line like the 'third best tackle' is vital over a full season.

I am loving it. The Niners are out smarting themselves.
 
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Awww the poor 9er line. I would like to beat them full strength, but I could care less about that. Remember when we had that season where the entire team was injured and we were signing guys off the streets, probably one of the most injured teams in NFL history? Remember how no one cared at all? Who cares about what-if scenarios, a win is a win and a lost is a lost.

I loved signing players to replace players on IR who were signed to replace players on IR. The crazy thing is even when we were down to our 12th and 13th CBs for the season we were still better at defending the pass than last season.

As for the 49ers I'm going to be the biggest prick in the world to their fans when we qualify for the playoffs and they don't.
 

LazyWinker

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I loved signing players to replace players on IR who were signed to replace players on IR. The crazy thing is even when we were down to our 12th and 13th CBs for the season we were still better at defending the pass than last season.

As for the 49ers I'm going to be the biggest prick in the world to their fans when we qualify for the playoffs and they don't.
I wouldn't say the 2011 team was better at defending the pass just that teams didn't have to pass as much against them. The Rams weren't in many games that year. Plus I think their run defense was something atrocious that year. DeMarco Murray broke Emmitt Smith's single game rushing record against the Rams in 2011.
 

DaveFan'51

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If the 49'ers can't run the ball they are toast out of the gate. They tried going up tempo with the passing game early last season and it didn't work with Kappernick.
I hope they do have to try a passing attach against us, I want it to be a Laugher on Monday-Night Football!!:D
 

SteveBrown

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J Martin is a pretty good athlete,and pretty smart. BUt, he lacks toughness, and I think he is everything that SF doesn't want in O lineman--but they got him for free. He is a very good stop gap guy for a few games.....Anthony Davis at RT is not a good pass blocker, but he is pretty tough in the run game. Boone is a pretty good player... It is interesting to see what happens in the regular season....Their whole team's success comes from that mashing O line unit. (I know the D is good, but the O line dicates)

I am hoping that Fish is putting together a line that is better than theirs.
 

tahoe

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I cant say that im sad when I see 49er or seahawk injuries! It would be nice to have a reversal of fortune for once with injuries, the rams staying healthy and the rivals being injury plagued. The weaker they are the better in my book.
 

Thordaddy

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I loved signing players to replace players on IR who were signed to replace players on IR. The crazy thing is even when we were down to our 12th and 13th CBs for the season we were still better at defending the pass than last season.

As for the 49ers I'm going to be the biggest prick in the world to their fans when we qualify for the playoffs and they don't.
Why wait
 

CodeMonkey

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h0AB0E461
 

Noregar

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One thing the Whiners have working to their advantage is that Trent Baalke is a very good GM with and eye for talent. Despite that, I believe some of the cracks are starting to show.

To go along with the O-line concerns and smoldering contract issues with some key players, the 49ers are starting to get old, especially some of their key contributors. Justin Smith will be 35 by the end the season. Anquan Boldin will be 34, Frank Gore is now 31, Antoine Bethea, Vernon Davis, and Ahmad Brooks are 30 and Joe Staley along with Ray McDonald will be 30 by the of the season. They also have some older reserves as well, though not all lof them may make the team. Special teams ace Kassim Osgood is 34, Brandon Lloyd is 33, Adam Snyder is 32, DB Raymond Ventrone will be 32, while reserve LB Blake Constanzo and Rams favorite Craig Dahl are 30. Patrick Willis will be 29 so he is creeping up there too.

On the defensive side of the ball they just lost Glen Doresy for a good part of the season, Navarro Bowman is coming off of that devastating knee injury, and Aldon Smith is a powder keg of legal issues.

I HATE the 49ers