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 Niners must stay healthy
Posted: Sunday August 22, 1999 10:59 AM
The San Francisco 49ers have some of the best athletes in the NFL, they're well coached and they're expected to win. But their success this year will be directly tied to the injury list. The worries start on defense. DT Bryant Young is still coming back from a broken leg, and their top two draft picks DT Reggie McGrew and DE Chike Okeafor are out with injuries. After the preseason game against San Diego, Bryant told me, "I got a little ways to go, I hope to put on the pads in a week or two" But San Francisco can't afford to let him rush back from his injury like Jerry Rice did. He needs to be totally healthy before he returns. San Francisco will need to blitz more to support its weak front. That's sound coaching, but the 49ers corners don't hold up well in man coverage (they were ranked 29th against the pass in '98). On a good note, CB R.W. McQuarters looks more seasoned and has improved from his rookie year. Defensive coordinator Jim Mora told me he was very pleased with the development of safety Lance Schulters, the team's fourth-round pick in '98. With 34-year-old Tim McDonald experiencing back trouble, Schulters has been starting and has done exceptionally well. In an interesting project, the always innovative 49ers are trying to make a cornerback out of fourth-rounder Pierson Prioleau, who was a safety at Koming. Prioleau has flashed the skills and toughness this unit needs and, if he sticks at corner, will give the secondary some much needed competition and depth. San Francisco's No. 1 ranked offense was dealt a heavy blow when it lost 1,500-yard rusher Garrison Hearst to injury. But speedy little back Charlie Garner can help with kick returns. Lawrence Phillips looked exceptional at practice and fifth-round pick Terry Jackson is trying to take full advantage of the opportunity at this position. With Steve Young seemingly a concussion away from retirement, San Francisco needs a strong backup. The people's choice -- and according to some of the players I spoke with the players' choice -- is Jeff Garcia, a 29-year-old former CFL player. He's more mobile than Jim Druckenmiller, who doesn't always make good decisions. Druckenmiller -- who, if cut, would save the team $559,000 on the cap -- didn't exactly help himself when he didn't play in NFL Europe this past spring, despite Bill Walsh's urgings. The 49ers do have an emotional edge over other teams. Offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick, who's been one of the key factors to their success, appears to be winning his battle with bile duct cancer. Coaches expect players to play with pain. McKittrick will never have to ask one of his linemen to do that: They're being shown how to do that by their inspirational coach. Keep an eye on the 49ers' two starting tackles: LT Dave Fiore is an undrafted small college player and RT Jeremy Newberry was originally drafted as a center. Both are coming off major knee injuries but what McKittrick is doing with these guys is incredible (never mind the fact that they'll earn a combined $657,000 this season). As long as Young is injury-free and his targets are the likes of Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice and JJ Stokes, the Niners are hard to beat. But right now, much of the 49ers success seems to rest on staying healthy, and that's a fragile place to be, to say the least. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/SI.
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