Mike Singletary's biggest goal this offseason was to bolster an offensive line that had given up 150 sacks the previous three seasons and failed to dominate opponents in the running game in 2009. A tough physical offensive line is the bedrock of his offensive philosophy, and Singletary didn't think he had the right pieces last year.
With that in mind, he used both of his first-round draft picks on beefy, physical linemen: tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati. Immediately after the draft, Singletary said he hoped the two rookies would get into the starting lineup some time this season. Now it's clear they'll be starters from Day 1.
Singletary and his offensive coaches made a decision early in training camp that Davis and Iupati were simply better than the players ahead of them at right tackle and left guard respectively. To maximize that potential, he threw them into the starting lineup in the second week of training camp, and the two have been playing well into the third quarter throughout the preseason.
Furthermore, Singletary tossed Davis, who is only 20 years old, into the deep end of the pool in his very first game. Playing against speedy Colts defensive end Robert Mathis in Indianapolis, Davis didn't receive any blocking help. And that was by design.
"I think it was good to see the matchup," Singletary said of Davis' first game. "It was good to see where he was, and it's a great opportunity to see the speed of the game without having some help, feeling the whole thing, feeling the anxiety of playing against a premier pass rusher in the game. And just allowing him to get out there and see if he can handle it and see how he responds."
The early returns are that the experiment will be a success. Both Davis and Iupati are raw, but their physical talent is obvious. They are large, physical men who are surprisingly quick for their size. The 49ers love to pull Iupati to the right side on running plays because he is quick enough to reach the second level to blow up linebackers before the running back gets there.
Davis also has excellent feet, giving the 49ers two offensive tackles Joe Staley is the starter on the left side who can make blocks in space. This is especially important for an offense that seemed one-dimensional and predictable last season. Singletary wants to be able to run between the tackles when he wants to.
With Davis and Iupati, he can do so much more.
COACHING: Mike Singletary, 2nd season, 2nd with 49ers (13-12).
REMEMBERING: 2009 record: 8-8 (2nd in NFC West).
PREDICTING: 2010 regular season record: 9-7 (1st in NFC West); lose in second round of the playoffs.
.gif){kind=spacer}
- Draft Scout Premium Members Feature - 
49ERS INSIDE SLANT