SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
Return to Prominence Could Still Be Many Years Away
Defensive end Bryant Young, a 12-year veteran, is the lone holdover from the 49ers' glory days. He had a team-high eight sacks last season.
(By Jonathan Ferrey -- Getty Images)
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Music from the 1980s has become popular again. And those who listen to it say it's as if the music never went away. But to a certain group of people, the 1980s were a lifetime ago. For 49ers fans, that's about when the music ended.
Even in 1995, when the franchise still was successfully riding its "Team of the 1980s" status, nobody could have foreseen the events of 2005, when a 4-12 season by first-year coach Mike Nolan was seen as an improvement.
The 49ers have won six games over two seasons, and defensive end Bryant Young is the only remaining link to the dynasty days. Even the offense has lost signs of its West Coast heritage, a trend that's sure to continue as Norv Turner, an ex-Cowboy no less, takes over as offensive coordinator.
Turner has a track record for remaking young, struggling quarterbacks, and he'll have plenty of work to do with Alex Smith, who suffered through a trying rookie season. Turner also has a working relationship with Nolan, who briefly served as the Redskins' defensive coordinator when Turner was the head coach.
Running back Frank Gore has emerged as a front-line starter, and the receiving corps will be bolstered by the arrival of free agent Antonio Bryant and Maryland draftee Vernon Davis. But it's still going to be some time before respectability returns to the Bay.
The 49ers ranked last in the NFL in defense last season and did not do much to upgrade that unit. In fact, they lost perhaps their best player in linebacker Julian Peterson, who left for the Seattle Seahawks.
