2014 Depth chart
Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Desmond Bishop
Navorro Bowman*, Michael Wilhoite, Nick Moody, Chase Thomas
*Injured all season
Signed through 2015: Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Chris Borland, Nick Moody, Chase Thomas.
Free agents: Michael Wilhoite, Desmond Bishop.
Patrick Willis
6 games (6 started), 29 tackles, 5 assists, 3 passes defended, 1 interception
2014 saw Willis suffer his first significant loss of playing time through injury, as he finally succumbed to a toe injury that had hampered his 2014 campaign and was placed on Injured Reserve after just six games.
For a player who had been selected to every Pro Bowl since coming into the league in 2007 and had only missed six games in his career up until this season, finishing 2014 so early came as a surprise to the player and the fanbase alike.
Willis had, in fact, been playing through the injury all year but took medical advice from the team and opted for surgery in order to eradicate the niggling issue. This should ensure that in terms of this injury at least, Willis will be able to come back in 2015 and play as hard as he always has.
During his six games, Patrick played at his usual high level even with the injury, which is a credit to the his efforts.
With the onslaught of injuries that the team suffered from during 2014, it was perhaps best that his season was shut down early as it became more apparent that a return to the playoffs was looking far less likely.
(Bleacher Report, 2015)
Navorro Bowman
0 games started.
After the horrifying injury that Navorro Bowman sustained during the 2013 playoffs, it was known very early on that the other member of the best linebacking tandem in the league would not be present on the field for much, if not all of 2014. Bowmans rehabilitation went well for the most part, but it did stall towards the end as fans waited with baited breath to hear when #53 would return to a depleted defense. He was activated off of the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list early on in December, but was placed on IR less than a week later, without ever suiting up.
He should be at full health by the time that the 2015 training camp begins.
Chris Borland
14 games (8 started), 84 tackles, 23 assists, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery.
(CBS Sacremento, 2015)
Drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft, Chris Borland came to the 49ers as a player who had been noted for having a knack for finding the ball, but perhaps was a little too slow and undersized to make a huge impact in the NFL. How wrong those experts were!
During the fourteen games that he appeared in, Borland racked up the most tackles of any player on the 49ers roster and proved to have superb run stopping abilities as well as coverage skills. With both Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman being lost for the season, it was a much needed surprise to find a rookie stepping up and playing at the same level as his two Pro-Bowl calibre teammates.
An ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks in week 15 put an end to his sparkling rookie season and any hopes of securing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but silverware aside, 2014 had already been a rookie year for the ages from the former Wisconsin Badger.
With the departure of Vic Fangio and the majority of the defensive staff from the 49ers, sources from within the organisation have revealed that the team will most likely be switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense. This means that we will be seeing Willis, Bowman and Borland on the field at the same time during the 2015 season. This decision to alter the fundamental layout of the defense was in no small part due to Borland.
With a 21.3% run-stop percentage, the best of ANY inside linebacker with 200+ run snaps since PFF began tracking this statistic in 2007, alongside his other talents, its not hard to see why he has forced management to consider and adopt a different scheme. Quite simply, he must be on the field next season.
Michael Wilhoite
16 games (16 starts), 67 tackles, 20 assists, 2 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble.
(Daily Republic, 2015)
After appearing in every game of 2013, Wilhoite was the obvious choice to step up into the starting role vacated by the injured Navorro Bowman. He was the only inside linebacker to play in all 16 games of the 2014 season.
Whilst he may not have been as spectacular as Borland, WIlhoite still posted the third most tackles on the 49ers roster and gave a courageous effort all season to step into the All-Pro shoes of the injured Navorro Bowman. The defense did not miss a beat even though Wilhoite had only started two games previous to this season, as the ex-Omaha Nighthawk flashed plenty of ability in covering receivers and a nose for the ball in general.
Wilhoite is an ERFA (Exclusive Rights Free Agent) meaning that the 49ers can offer a veterans minimum contract to him and he only has the choice of signing it or leaving the league. This is because he only has 2 years of NFL experience. Therefore, expect to see him back next year.
Nick Moody
16 games (2 starts), 16 tackles, 5 assists.
The 2013 sixth-round draft pick was pressed into a starting role for the final two games of the season, after the injury to Chris Borland occurred. The majority of his season however, was spent on Special Teams assignments.
The most famous, or rather, infamous, play of his career so far, occurred against the Seattle Seahawks during week 15. Blitzing from his linebacker position, Moody came upon Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and unleashed a hard, but entirely legal hit as he brought the QB down for a sack. However, the officials flagged Moody for a roughing-the-passer penalty, which ultimately led to a Seattle touchdown instead of forcing them to take a field goal attempt. The ‘Hawks went on to win the game 17-7, with Moodys controversially flagged hit being pivotal in the hugely important game.
Moody will be under a certain amount of pressure in training camp from guys like Chase Thomas and any other linebackers that are drafted or signed this year, for one of the backup roles on the 2015 roster. At the moment, he will be pencilled in to be one of the main backups at the linebacker position.
Chase Thomas
5 games (0 starts), 3 tackles.
Since he came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent for the New Orleans Saints in 2013, Chase Thomas has graced the practice squads of several teams before he landed with the 49ers.
Thomas spent the first 9 games on the practice squad before being promoted during week 10 to provide cover for the ailing 49ers linebacker group.
Being utilised solely on special teams, Thomas accumulated three tackles in the five games that he featured in, as well as a sole return attempt for 8 yards.
The former Stanford Cardinal standout found himself at the centre of a small controversy late on in the season, as the coaching staff and front office battled to control the depth chart when Borland went onto the IR. After being successful under Coach Harbaugh at Stanford, Thomas was the natural choice to be promoted to the backup linebacker position that had been created when the existing backup, Nick Moody, was called upon to start. Trent Baalke and the front office had other plans however, overruling Harbaugh and instead signing veteran linebacker Desmond Bishop to backup the position on gameday.
Thomas will no doubt compete with Nick Moody for a primary backup role for the 2015 season.
Desmond Bishop
2 games (0 starts), 2 tackles.
As mentioned before, Bishop was signed late on in the season to be a backup linebacker for the 49ers, as well as having a role on special teams once ST stud Kassim Osgood was sent onto the IR.
Both of Bishops tackles came in his first game for the 49ers, a week 16 matchup with the San Diego Chargers.
Desmond Bishop will probably not feature in the future plans of the 49ers, after being released at the end of the 2014 season when his contract expired.
Looking ahead
Overall, the San Francisco 49ers are in an admirable position when it comes to inside linebackers. Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman are perennial Pro Bowlers, whilst Chris Borland seems destined to join them if he continues to play at the elite level seen from him in 2014. Very few teams around the league have such a wealth of starting talent at this position.
Being an ERFA, it is highly likely that the 49ers will resign Michael Wilhoite as a primary backup. Thus, we shall probably see Moody and Thomas as the two main players who will be battling for the other backup roles at the inside linebacker position, unless the team finds another gem in the draft (possible) or spends money on a veteran (unlikely).
Photograph references
"Bowman_Willis", Bleacher Report, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1678714-san-francisco-49ers-why-patrick-willis-and-navorro-bowman-are-a-special-tandem >
"Borland", CBS Sacremento, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/11/26/seahawks-head-coach-carroll-praises-49ers-rookies/ >
"Wilhoite", Daily Republic, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://www.dailyrepublic.com/media-post/photo-niners-7/attachment/michael-wilhoite-larry-fitzgerald/ >
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