Isaac Sopoaga moving to NT

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by PTulini:
MaioccoCSN: Isaac Sopoaga said he found out yesterday while meeting with DL coach Jim Tomsula he'd be moving to nose tackle for the 49ers. His move from LDE to NT, replacing Aubrayo Franklin, is 49ers' plan after re-signing Ray McDonald to start at LDE.

I think he will do fine since Fangio defense is more of an attacking style.

When I think attack and our defense.

I think about when we tried to blitz the chiefs a few times... got embarassed
I think about when we tried to blitz and play aggressive against the seahawks..... got embarassed.

happened a lot last year, I wonder how it will look this year.

not a fan of Isaac. to me he should have been cut long time ago.

Originally posted by PTulini:
MaioccoCSN: Isaac Sopoaga said he found out yesterday while meeting with DL coach Jim Tomsula he'd be moving to nose tackle for the 49ers. His move from LDE to NT, replacing Aubrayo Franklin, is 49ers' plan after re-signing Ray McDonald to start at LDE.

Sounds good. Ray Mac has started on the line for like 8 games in '06. Ice used to play NT and was ok. I think he will be better now that hes been in the league for a few more years. Same said about Ray.

Originally posted by Negrodamus:
not a fan of Isaac. to me he should have been cut long time ago.

Nope.....

If this move works out in a good way. Lock up Tomsula for 10years. He would be the McKittrick of the D-line

[ Edited by qnnhan7 on Jul 28, 2011 at 13:25:42 ]

Originally posted by unst4bl3:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by PTulini:
MaioccoCSN: Isaac Sopoaga said he found out yesterday while meeting with DL coach Jim Tomsula he'd be moving to nose tackle for the 49ers. His move from LDE to NT, replacing Aubrayo Franklin, is 49ers' plan after re-signing Ray McDonald to start at LDE.

I think he will do fine since Fangio defense is more of an attacking style.

When I think attack and our defense.

I think about when we tried to blitz the chiefs a few times... got embarassed
I think about when we tried to blitz and play aggressive against the seahawks..... got embarassed.

happened a lot last year, I wonder how it will look this year.

Probably makes a difference when you telegraph your blitzes (not only that one is happening but who's doing it) as much as the Niners did last year. The only thing more predictable than their defense was their offense.

Wow, we're really getting desperate. All you can do is laugh, really.

Well there goes the one solid part of the defense.

Originally posted by unst4bl3:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by PTulini:
MaioccoCSN: Isaac Sopoaga said he found out yesterday while meeting with DL coach Jim Tomsula he'd be moving to nose tackle for the 49ers. His move from LDE to NT, replacing Aubrayo Franklin, is 49ers' plan after re-signing Ray McDonald to start at LDE.

I think he will do fine since Fangio defense is more of an attacking style.

When I think attack and our defense.

I think about when we tried to blitz the chiefs a few times... got embarassed
I think about when we tried to blitz and play aggressive against the seahawks..... got embarassed.

happened a lot last year, I wonder how it will look this year.

I mean in terms of what our front 3 or 4 will do. Last year was undisciplined all around. Under Nolan, it was too discipline.

Who knows, nothing is predictable this season except for what we may see from our QB and RB.

Originally posted by WRATHman44:
The more I think about how much better ICE has been in the last 2 years, and how much Franklin improved as a 49er, the more I appreciate Tomsula as a coach. RJF kind of gave it away a bit when he mentioned (around TC last year) that Franklin's game was all about technique, leverage and film study. I think you put a lot of that on the coach. I agree with other posters who said that ICE will be fine, considering how he has matured as a player since the last time he played nose. I believe we were in Nolan's 2 gap scheme last time ICE was a nose as well. He seems better suited to a more active, 1 gap scheme. It still occupies two blockers, it just puts the burden of reaction on the OL, instead of the DL.

Quote:
Sopoaga also got his first look at defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's playbook this week. At first glance, he said the nose tackle's duties were similar to what they were under previous coordinator Greg Manusky. That may be by design - Fangio only has a little more than a month to install his system.

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2011/07/niner-notes-nos.html#ixzz1TQwlDRXB

Big mistake. NT is the centerpiece of any good 3-4. I'm not sure Sopoaga is up to snuff.

Originally posted by unst4bl3:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by PTulini:
MaioccoCSN: Isaac Sopoaga said he found out yesterday while meeting with DL coach Jim Tomsula he'd be moving to nose tackle for the 49ers. His move from LDE to NT, replacing Aubrayo Franklin, is 49ers' plan after re-signing Ray McDonald to start at LDE.

I think he will do fine since Fangio defense is more of an attacking style.

When I think attack and our defense.

I think about when we tried to blitz the chiefs a few times... got embarassed
I think about when we tried to blitz and play aggressive against the seahawks..... got embarassed.

happened a lot last year, I wonder how it will look this year.

We're gonna have more speed in the backfield, I hope, and our front 7 should be alot more aggressive in getting after the opposing QB--two areas that KC exploited in that game. It may take some time for the new guys to learn the scheme and for the coaches to adjust to the players, but its got to get better than last year. IMHO.

Q: You guys used Isaac Sopoaga for the first time as a fullback. What did you see in him that made you think he would be a good fit in a short yardage situation?

HARBAUGH: We were looking for a guy like that. We've worked Soap a few times in training camp. It was going on early in the season. After Moran went down, amped it up this week. And just thought he had the physicality, the athleticism to have a role on offense. There have been some suggestions from the players. With his rugby background. Get him in there, I've heard and seen him display the athleticism out on the football field doing some offensive things. It was good. He did a good job. I think he was excited to be doing it. He got in there and fulfilled his assignment and then some. I was very pleased with the few plays he was in the ball game.

I know it's been done before but I still liked it.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/2011/09/inside-the-49ers/harbaughs-monday-conference-call-transcript/

Originally posted by JiksJuicy:

Q: You guys used Isaac Sopoaga for the first time as a fullback. What did you see in him that made you think he would be a good fit in a short yardage situation?

HARBAUGH: We were looking for a guy like that. We've worked Soap a few times in training camp. It was going on early in the season. After Moran went down, amped it up this week. And just thought he had the physicality, the athleticism to have a role on offense. There have been some suggestions from the players. With his rugby background. Get him in there, I've heard and seen him display the athleticism out on the football field doing some offensive things. It was good. He did a good job. I think he was excited to be doing it. He got in there and fulfilled his assignment and then some. I was very pleased with the few plays he was in the ball game.

I know it's been done before but I still liked it.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/2011/09/inside-the-49ers/harbaughs-monday-conference-call-transcript/

1st time for Harbaugh... it was done for the past 2-3 years with Singletary. As for Soap I might as well comment on the thread since it's bumped up. Think he is doing a pretty good job of holding down the fort. He is a much better player then he was when he was a rookie playing NT. I think this fits him well.... he won't be expected to get pressure like you are at DE. Very few NTs get more than a sack or two. Depends on how you play your gaps and what is expected of you. He is signed through 2012 so we have to more years of him. Guess we can cross it off the draft list and hope Ian Williams develops in the time being. We will need the extra pick with all those needs we have.

Originally posted by Negrodamus:
not a fan of Isaac. to me he should have been cut long time ago.

Soap is not a "get the QB" player like Justin is. He is a "hole clogger" that holds the line of attack for the LB's to do their jobs. I think Abrauyo was the same.