After finishing a step short of the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers have decided to cut to the chase.
Frustrated by a defense that gave up a combined 68 points in consecutive NFC title game losses to Dallas, the 49ers made wholesale personnel and coaching changes in hopes of hitting the right combination for a fifth trip to the Super Bowl."There needed to be a personality change and we've done that," San Francisco coach George Seifert said.
At training camp, San Francisco is working in seven new defensive starters. It is the biggest player turnover rate on the defense since 1980, the year before the 49ers won the first of their four Super Bowls.
The entire defensive coaching staff is either new or working in a different position.
"We're not an organization that sits still when things are not going well," strong safety Tim McDonald said. "Their ultimate goal is to get to the big game and win the game. We showed that we were shorthanded in a lot of areas last year on defense. I knew they would be making some moves."
Some of the changes were the result of fallout from imposition of the salary cap, but most grew out of the 38-20 rout in Dallas last January. It reinforced the belief that took root in a 30-20 loss to Dallas in the '92 title game: that San Francisco needed a more rugged defense to go with its precision offense.
Tight end Brent Jones admitted there were times last season when members of the league's top-ranked offense felt under the gun to make up for ineffective defensive play.
"Sometimes, we felt like we had to score every time we had the ball," Jones said. "We'd come off the field after not making a first down and guys would be going crazy, getting frustrated and saying, `We've got to do this, we've got to do that.' In this league, it's just too tough to score everytime you get the ball.
"We made a heckuva run at it. I think there were three games where we didn't punt but the reality is you can't score every time you have the ball and it'll be great to have an intense defense to break things up around here."
The first step was the removal of Seifert's close friend, Bill McPherson, from day to day supervision of the defense. McPherson, who advocated a reaction-style defense, was booted upstairs to assistant head coach.
Ray Rhodes, a former 49ers secondary coach who helped elevate Green Bay's defense in a two-year tour as coordinator there, has returned to take charge of San Francisco's defense.
And the 49ers' unit is expected to reflect Rhodes' belief in a more physical, aggressive style.
Other defensive coaching changes included John Marshall shifting to linebackers to replace the fired Bob Zeman, and Dwaine Board taking over the defensive line from Marshall. Jeff Fisher and Eric Wright left for other jobs and Tom Holmoe, a former 49ers defensive back, took over as secondary coach.
On the field, the 49ers released or traded the entire starting linebacking corps of Mike Walter, Bill Romanowski, John Johnson and Keith DeLong.
Sixth-rounder Lee Woodall, the last of eight draft picks who until now was better known for his resemblance to Evander Hoyfield, is the projected starter at weakside linebacker.
The 49ers also signed Pro Bowl free agent Ken Norton to play middle linebacker and free agent Gary Plummer as the strongside backer.
Those moves were made to strengthen the run defense, which gave up a league-worst 4.5 yards per carry last season.
The defensive line also was remade through the draft and free agency with an eye toward turning up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Richard Dent, who led Chicago in sacks in eight of 11 seasons, was signed as a free agent and takes over at right defensive end for Karl Wilson, now a reserve. Dennis Brown returns at right end and Dana Stubblefield, the 1993 defensive rookie of the year, returns at a tackle. Top draft choice Bryant Young of Notre Dame, who sacked Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward twice in the Irish win over eventual national Florida State, will play alongside Stubblefield.
The free agency loss of Don Griffin has resulted in Merton Hanks being moved from free safety to right corner, and 1992 No. 1 pick Dana Hall, beaten out by Hanks, comes off the bench to reclaim his job at free safety.
Eric Davis remains at left corner and McDonald stays at strong safety, although he may become more of an attacker rather than a last line of defense by playing closer to the line of scrimmage this year.
Offensively, the 49ers lost guard Guy McIntyre and fullback Tom Rathman to free agency, but signed free agent center Bart Oates and will replace McIntyre by shifting Jesse Sapolu from center to left guard.
Steve Young, the league's leading passer the past three seasons, said he believes the offensive line will be improved this year. He and Oates are former Brigham Young teammates and should have no trouble adjusting to one another again. Young said he thinks Sapolu, a Pro Bowler at center, could do just as well at guard, his natural position.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Defensive overhaul
The San Francisco 49ers have turned over more than half of their defense from last year. Here's the projected starting defensive lineup and how it differs from the one in the 1993 NFC Championship game:
Left End - Dennis Brown (A slimmed down Brown retains his position).
Left Tackle - Dana Stubblefield (Defensive rookie of the year stays put).
Right Tackle - Bryant Young (Top draft pick in '94 replaces Ted Washington, top draft pick in '91 who was traded to Denver for fifth-round pick).
Right End - Richard Dent (One of three major free agent acquisitions. Replaces Karl Wilson, now a reserve).
Weakside linebacker - Lee Woodall (Second rookie expected to start. The sixth-round pick replaces John Johnson, released and claimed by Cincinnati).
Middle linebacker - Ken Norton (The 49ers strengthen themselves and hope to weaken Dallas by signing away the Pro Bowler. He replaces Mike Walter, who was left unsigned).
Strongside linebacker - Gary Plummer (Durable, determined run stopper signed as a free agent from San Diego. Replaces Bill Romanowski, traded to Philadelphia).
Left cornerback - Eric Davis (Steady performer stays put).
Right cornerback - Merton Hanks (Switched from free safety to cover the free agency loss of Don Griffin).
Strong Safety - Tim McDonald (Pro Bowler last year, first with 49ers).
Free Safety - Dana Hall ('92 top draft pick reclaims the job he lost last year to Hanks).