2007 San Francisco 49ers Preview

2007 San Francisco 49ers preview from MadduxSports.com. Once the NFL season underway be sure to purchase Maddux's Expert NFL Picks. We have also have a live NFL lines page so all visitors can compare multiple odds from the best sportsbooks on the net.

Everybody's Sleeper, No Longer a Sleeper
By Adam Barone

Right before the 2006 season started, just about everyone who knew anything about the NFL prophesized, “Dude, check out Arizona's offense! That team is going to be SICK this year!” Granted, not everyone talks like a surfer, but nevertheless, everyone picked the Cardinals. We all turned out to be… not so right. This year, everyone has seen what the 9ers have done in the off-season, and now they're the big bandwagon pick. That's not to say that the 49ers will go 5-11 and have everyone wondering how they managed to actually pull out 5 whole wins like the '06 Cardinals ended up doing, but let's not go crazy just yet.

San Francisco managed a 7-9 record in 2006 even though they're a very young team. QB Alex Smith and RB Frank Gore were both in just their second season, but each showed the organization and the fans that they had something to look forward to. Frank Gore had a breakout season in 2006, bursting onto the scene with 1695 yards and 8 TDs, and showed that he was a pass receiving threat out of the backfield with 61 catches for 485 yards. He'll likely be even more so the primary offensive option for the 49ers this season. Smith threw for 16 TDs, but had almost no one to throw to. TE Vernon Davis made 20 receptions in his rookie season, but played in only 10 games. This should be the year that he proves why he was worthy of a top 10 overall draft pick.

Making a deal on draft day, San Fran picked up former Florida Gator receiver Darrell Jackson from the division rival Seahawks. Jackson comes from a Seattle team that was loaded with receivers and should be able to step in and become the #1 option for the passing game, far surpassing his 2006 total of 63 receptions. Even with such a low reception total, Jackson was still able to rack up 956 yards last season. The Niners were also active in the free agent market, signing another former first round pick, speedster WR Ashley Lelie. Lelie has the potential to be one of the top vertical threats in the NFL and should open up space for Jackson, Davis and Gore to make plays.

Aside from free agent signees CB Nate Clements and S Michael Lewis, there isn't really anyone noteworthy on what was the 26th ranked overall defense in the NFL in 2006. They allowed 344.2 yards per contest last season, a number that must get much lower very quickly if the 49ers hope to compete in 2007, even in the weaker NFC. Clements and Lewis should at least help to solidify the pass defense, and #11 overall draft pick MLB Patrick Willis out of Mississippi should go a long way toward shoring up the run D. Willis is extremely quick and athletic and accelerates into the hole as quick as maybe anyone currently in the league.

2007 San Francisco 49ers Predictions

Things are looking great for the future in San Francisco on the offensive side of the ball, but a Super Bowl Champion with a vomit-inducing defense as we saw last year is still most likely a once-in-a-lifetime thing. The 49ers will need to seriously address their defense this year and in the coming off-season to be a legitimate contender. The sports gambling world is one where everyone likes to think they know more than the next guy, but in this case, everyone is looking right at San Francisco. Intelligent gamblers will pay attention to this early in the season, as so many people will think the 49ers are better than they actually are, and we might see NFL spreads reflecting just that.

If you enjoyed reading our San Francisco 49ers preview read up on the rest of the NFC West division teams like the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Rams team previews from Maddux Sports.

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