Manusky freed up to simplify 49ers' defense

<p>SANTA CLARA — One of the great defensive players in NFL history, Mike Singletary has seemingly been more hands-on on offense during his short tenure as 49ers head coach.</p><p>Singletary made it a point after taking over for fired Mike Nolan at midseason last year to spend a lot of time with offensive coordinator Mike Martz. He knew what he wanted to see on offense, and he wanted to emphasize his philosophy to the pass-happy Martz.</p><p>And when Singletary fired Martz two days after the team’s final regular-season game, he outlined his expectations and desires to the candidates he interviewed for the position.</p><p>Meanwhile, Singletary has appeared to place a lot of trust in defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.</p><p>“I know what the defense is doing,” Singletary said. “I know the personnel on defense. I know what the guys are capable of doing. I talk to Greg from time to time, making sure things are going the way they need to go. I spend time over there as well. But the defense is on that path where we’re pretty much stable.”</p><p>The 49ers’ defense under Nolan was constantly changing schemes (3-4 or 4-3) and personnel. When Manusky took over, he jettisoned several chapters of the playbook.</p><p>“It’s a situation where for a year we have been running what I like to run,” said Manusky, who enters his third year as 49ers defensive coordinator but the first in which he is not running Nolan’s defense.</p><p>With Manusky’s simplified approach in the second half of last season, the 49ers’ defense excelled. The 49ers’ defense finished No. 13 in the NFL. It matched their best ranking since 1997, when the unit was No.1 in the league.</p><p>“We looked at who we are and said, ‘You know what? This we don’t need. That we don’t need,’” Singletary said. “Our defense is going to execute the defense that our personnel can fit. And that’s really it. It’s nothing major. It’s just common sense.”</p><p>The change in defensive approach should have a major impact on nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, right defensive end Justin Smith and outside linebacker Manny Lawson.</p><p>Franklin is not a hulking player who can anchor the middle of the line as an immovable object. In the second half of last season, he was often asked to slant to one side or the other and was not required as often to line up over center and fill both run gaps on either side of him.</p><p>Smith did not know where he was lining up from snap to snap early in the season, but he has found a home at right defensive end. And Lawson, a one-down player at outside linebacker last season, will remain on the field to rush the passer on third downs.</p><p>“We were doing a lot of different stuff last year,” Franklin said. “This year we’re going to do what we do best and make teams adjust to us. Last year, we were adjusting to what the other team was doing.</p><p>“We’ll still have to game-plan for the opponent, but we’re not going to get too far away from our own strengths.”</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.press</p><p>democrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco via e-mail at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.</p>