This is my Saturday article on the gradual construction of the 49ers’ roster.
By GRANT COHN
After the 2004 season, the 49ers were the worst team in football. They had practically no talent, they had won two games, and they had one Pro Bowler, long snapper, Brian Jennings.
This season, the 49ers are going to the Super Bowl and they have arguably the most talented roster in the NFL. Nine 49ers were selected to the Pro Bowl, more than any other team. The 49ers have the best offensive line in the NFL, the best defensive front-seven in the NFL, and the most exciting player in the NFL, Colin Kaepernick.
The 49ers built this juggernaut in waves.
2005:
The first wave seemed to be inspired by, of all teams, the 49ers’ current Super Bowl opponent, the Baltimore Ravens. Since 2000, the Ravens have been one of the toughest teams in the NFL, built around defense and running the football. For decades, the 49ers had been defined by a finesse passing offense, and they needed a complete personality overhaul.
So the 49ers hired the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, to be their head coach and general manager. They also hired Scot McCloughan to draft the players, and they hired Trent Baalke as a scout. These three men are the Founding Fathers of the 49ers’ current roster.
McCloughan drafted Alex Smith with the No.1 overall pick and Frank Gore in the third round. Alex Smith lost his starting job this season, but Frank Gore has been the center of the 49ers’ offense since 2006. “He represents everything I tried to build,” McCloughan told Yahoo Sports. “He blew out both knees and both shoulders, and the son of a gun still goes to work.”
2006:
McCloughan drafted Vernon Davis in the first round and Delanie Walker in the sixth round, two powerful, explosive tight ends. For the second year in a row, the 49ers added offense, but not flimsy, flashy players. They got big, strong, rugged guys.
2007:
McCloughan conducted an all-time great draft. He picked five current starters — four on defense and one on offense — Patrick Willis and Joe Staley in the first round, Ray McDonald in the third round, Dashon Goldson in the fourth round and Tarell Brown in the fifth round.
The Ravens’ defense had been defined by an elite middle linebacker, Ray Lewis, and an elite free safety, Ed Reed. In this draft, the 49ers got their own elite defensive duo, Willis and Goldson. Today, they’re two of the hardest hitters in the NFL.
2008:
The 49ers made their most important acquisition up to that point, Nolan, also was the general manager at that time, signed free agent Justin Smith to a six-year, $45 million contract.
Smith has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL since he joined the 49ers, and their most valuable player. Nolan had to take Smith on a helicopter tour of the Bay Area to convince him to sign. Nolan showed Smith Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is not known if he showed him Candlestick Park.
The 49ers also claimed Ahmad Brooks off waivers in ’08. The Bengals had cut him after training camp. Today, Brooks is one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL.
2009:
Nolan was out and Mike Singletary was in as the new head coach. McCloughan was the new general manager and Baalke was the new Vice President of Player Personnel. They drafted Michael Crabtree in the first round and signed the current right guard, Alex Boone, as an undrafted free agent.
2010:
McCloughan got fired just before the draft. Baalke made the picks, and he continued McCloughan’s theme of picking big strong players.
In the first round, Baalke drafted the most powerful player in the draft, Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati. Baalke also drafted another offensive lineman in the first round, right tackle Anthony Davis, and in the third round Baalke drafted a middle linebacker to complement Willis — two-time All Pro NaVorro Bowman. Another grand-slam draft.
2011:
Baalke officially became the 49ers’ general manager and his first move was to hire Jim Harbaugh to be the head coach. Together, those two put together one of the best offseasons in franchise history.
In the draft, they took Aldon Smith in the first round. Smith was the pass rusher the 49ers needed, and he instantly made the 49ers’ defense elite. In the second round, the 49ers unexpectedly took a chance and traded up for Reno’s Colin Kaepernick, the sixth quarterback taken in the draft. He may be the best young quarterback in football today.
They also drafted cornerback Chris Culliver in the third round, running back Kendall Hunter in the fourth round and fullback Bruce Miller in the seventh round, and they signed cornerback Carlos Rogers, safety Donte Whitner and center Jonathan Goodwin.
2012:
This past offseason, for the first time since the 1990s, the 49ers started the process of building an explosive offense. They drafted running back LaMichael James in the second round to pair him with Kaepernick in the pistol offense. And they signed Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, two deep-threat receivers, to catch Kaepernick’s lasers.
Twenty draft picks, seven free agent signings, three general managers, three head coaches and eight years. That’s how the 49ers were built.
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I am ready for some Football, I have my Niner shirt and my eye black on, got my stickum and I am ready for tomorrow.
Beer and wings to follow. Thanks Grant for the summary but who really picked AS,McCloughan or Nolan.
Neal,
Perhaps you should have waited on the stickum…now you will have chicken wings stuck in one hand and an empty beer bottle in the other….
lol
I think Singletary should get some credit for the 2010 draft. JH should get the credit for CK.
Just cause? I’ve heard nothing that suggests he had anything to do with the draft picks, mister banker hours probably couldn’t even have told you the top 10 prospects.
I dunno about Sing’s draft sense. He DIDN’T want to draft P.Willy even after coaching him in the Senior Bowl; had to be talked into it. And wasn’t Chilo his choice? I’ll give him a pass on Mays, even though staff tried to talk him out of it, only because I would’ve made that 2nd Round mistake on Mays too.
Anthony Davis and Iupati were definitely Mike’s picks. His finger prints are all over the 2009 & 2010 drafts. Gotta give credit where it’s due.
@ Grant
Very nice piece! Concise yet a pretty complete view. I hope both Mac and Mike N. feel some satisfaction for turning around a franchise that was in disarray. Harb’s then came along to get all those pieces moving in concert.
Compliments to you 4 guys and the P.D for the extensive coverage this week, and to you in particular for your tireless mole-whacking!
I hope their vision is one of Dynasty for the next 10 years.
Grant… Any possibility of a post where us faithful can put up some pics of our Superbowl Sunday?
Md, why can’t our Niners and Lakers put it together in the same season?
It’s the 49ers, Giants, A’s, Sharks, and Warriors. The washed up, prima donna Lakers have nothing to do with the Bay Area sports mecca.
To many chiefs in LA priest. I’ve kinda boycotted the NBA right now. That strike last year kind of put the final nail in the coffin for me and stern. I can’t wait for him to retire after next season. But Hey. My A’s surprised me last season.
It was a lockout. Greedy owners just like the NFL, and NHL. Billionaires can’t seem to have enough money can they?
As good as JH is as an HC, It will be difficult to compare him long term to BW. JH didn’t have to tear down a poor team and start from scratch. He was lucky enough to get hired by a team that was already loaded with talent. They just needed help with a plan and system. Additionally, it’s not known yet how much input JH adds as a talent evaluator. BW was one of the best if not the best. The 9ers are in good hands if they continue to collect draft picks and make the best choices. They seem to be fine on offense but will need to focus on the defense over the next 2-3 drafts. Good times for the long term.
Well it’s been well documented that Harbaugh wanted Kaepernick as his QB all along. I’m pretty sure he had full say on that pick. The others could have been a collaborative effort. Overall high draft picks have led to quality starters and quality depth.
Now my question for tomorrow’s game? Which coaching staff will be able to out think the other?
Prime, I think JoHar will out coach JiHar in a close game, but the 9ers will win in the end by a DA FG or CK run.
Hof:
I think IF both teams play to their potential that the Niners win by 2 or 3 scores .We are better in almost every area of the rosters. Our coaching staffs are better than theirs,especially with 2 weeks to prepare.
We are playing in a neutral site,so no real advantage for the Ravens because of noise !
We are faster than them and are a much better team than we were last Thanksgiving,and they are just slower and older.
Anything could happen and that is why they actually play the games (any given Sunday). But if things don’t do surprisingly wrong ,then we should win rather easily and in fact it could be a blowout.
I agree Hof. I see John going for a fake punt or onside kick in a close game as that might be the difference in this type of game. Remember Sean Payton with the onside kick against the Colts a couple SB’s ago? Ballzy and that might have won them the game.
Prime:
Remember that first Ram’s game where they ran a couple fake punts ? (or was it a fake punt and fake FG ?).
John has seen that film for sure .
But John doing things like that would just show that he knows his team is vastly inferior and he needs to throw caution to the wind to have any chance at all.
I would like to thank Nolan and McCloughan and Sing ,etc. for their contibutions to the current 49ers roster !
They all had their problems doing their jobs when they were with the Niners but they all did some good things !
It just took JH and staff and T. Baalke to look at the roster and move some pieces out and some pieces around and then fill in the weak spots and then give them purpose and great coaching,to make this team great again.
Off topic (as I usually am):
http://instagram.com/p/VPljSVvvY5/
Is it just me or does Harbaugh look terrified of that baby?
http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/matt-maiocco/49ers-pool-report-under-super-bowl-lights
We ARE ready !