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By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Tight end Eric Johnson has a picture hanging in his locker of Joe Montana, and safety Michael Adams sometimes walks around in Ronnie Lott's throwback jersey. The San Francisco 49ers' advertising campaign is all about fans being faithful to their franchise.
Everyone around the 49ers wants to remember the good old days, when the franchise won the five Super Bowl trophies sitting in a case in the lobby at their training complex.
That's because there isn't much to savor in the present days of owner John York's regime. The 49ers have endured three straight losing seasons, and they enter this campaign with a heavily altered roster that still doesn't look a whole lot better than the team that went 4-12 last season.
Coach Mike Nolan hasn't made much more than a dent in the personnel deficiencies he inherited in January 2005. But aside from departed running back Kevan Barlow's comments comparing Nolan to Hitler, the coach seems to be winning the struggle to convince his players better days will arrive -- perhaps this year.
"I knew as soon as I came out here that this wasn't a losing franchise," said receiver Antonio Bryant, who agreed to a big free-agent contract in the offseason. "Everybody knows the 49ers' history -- Montana, Rice, Roger Craig, John Taylor, Ronnie Lott, T.O. ... This isn't a place for losing football. We're here to get the 49ers back to where they belong."
It's hard to imagine that ascension will happen this fall, when most expect the 49ers to repeat their finish at the bottom of the NFC West. They have glaring deficiencies at most positions, and they're banking on a breakout season from Alex Smith, the 22-year-old quarterback carrying a world of responsibility.
Smith's rookie season was bad, but no worse than his teammates' efforts. The whirlwind of money and sudden fame weren't easy to enjoy during a demoralizing stretch of losses, and his final numbers -- 11 interceptions and one touchdown pass -- weren't pretty.
But the 49ers finally found a few playmakers to be Smith's targets, signing Bryant and drafting tight end Vernon Davis with the sixth overall pick to complement Johnson's return from a season-ending injury.
Frank Gore took over as the 49ers' primary rusher when Barlow was traded last month, and the second-year pro has shown flashes of being the club's best breakaway back since Ricky Watters. He'll run behind an improved offensive line built around Larry Allen, the 10-time Pro Bowl guard signed away from Dallas.
"Definitely, we have more guys with the skills you need to be successful," Smith said. "Everything is out there on the table. It just makes you anxious for the season to start, so you can see where all the parts fit in real games."
San Francisco's defense was the worst in the NFL last season, ranking 30th or lower in five significant statistical categories. And after the departures of linebackers Julian Peterson and Andre Carter in free agency, it's conceivable the unit could be even worse this fall.
For starters, the 49ers apparently are counting on Manny Lawson -- their first-round pick who was overshadowed by Mario Williams on North Carolina State's defensive line last season -- to be their primary pass rusher.
Though the 49ers are about $10 million under the salary cap, they refused to outbid Seattle, which signed Peterson, or the Washington Redskins, who snatched up Carter.
Nolan's logic recalled the thoughts of fired general manager Terry Donahue, who gutted San Francisco's roster in an attempt to clear up an epic salary-cap mess -- but then drafted poorly and wasted the little money he spent on terrible ideas.
"We'd have gone right back into hell had we done something with the two of them," Nolan said of Peterson and Carter. "Those are two guys I'd love to see on the roster, but when you let it get to (be too expensive), that's your mistake."
Though Lawson appears to be quite talented, such responsibility might be a bit much to ask of a rookie making a transition to linebacker. Indeed, San Francisco never generated a significant pass-rush at any point in the exhibition season.
The 49ers ostensibly shored up their awful secondary with several signings, but cornerback Walt Harris is the only new starter. Newcomers Mark Roman and Chad Williams failed to take jobs from incumbent safeties Tony Parrish and Adams, leaving three-quarters of the same cast that struggled last season.
While Smith finds his groove, and the defense searches for playmakers, Nolan is determined to keep his charges positive despite what seems likely to be yet another losing season. The Niners will rally behind defensive lineman Bryant Young, who remains unfailingly optimistic in his 13th year with his only club.
"We've been down for a while, and now I think we're kind of on the way back up," Young said. "We've got the people here to succeed and build something. It's great to be around for that."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-09-07-06 0103MDT
