Franklin does more than get down and dirty

<p>SANTA CLARA — Aubrayo Franklin does not need to record a bunch of tackles, get some sacks and — what the heck — an interception to capably perform his job as 49ers nose tackle.</p><p>But he does it anyway.</p><p>Franklin's job description mostly includes a bunch of the dirty work. The details of his job are often obscured by a mosh pit of 300-pound men on all sides of him. But, somehow, Franklin has been putting up some impressive numbers to go along with all the things that don't get noticed by a statistician.</p><p>Franklin, a seventh-year pro, ranks third on the 49ers with 56 tackles. Linebacker Patrick Willis and free safety Dashon Goldson are his only teammates with more tackles entering the 49ers' game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.</p><p>He plays first and second downs, and has a career-high two sacks. Franklin broke Peyton Manning's streak of four consecutive games without getting thrown for a sack.</p><p>And just to prove he can do it all, Franklin intercepted Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler at the goal line in the first half of the 49ers' 10-6 victory last Thursday night. It was the first interception of his career.</p><p>“He's been the most consistent player we've had this year,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. “He has that low center of gravity. He's always working on getting his body in position to make plays.</p><p>“You have to have unselfish players who are willing to do their job, get in the gap and hold those guys so the linebackers can get to where they need to go.”</p><p>Franklin is one of the main reasons the 49ers own the No. 3 run defense in the league. The team's goal is to shut down the run and make the opponent one-dimensional. Green Bay's Ryan Grant is ninth in the NFL with 700 yards on 168 rushing attempts.</p><p>“It's really big,” Franklin said. “Week-in and week-out, as defensive line, our goal is to keep those guys under 100 yards. If we get to third and long, we'll have an advantage.”</p><p>Franklin battled some injuries his first two seasons with the 49ers after signing a three-year, $6 million contract in 2007. He never did much of note until the 49ers scrapped their hybrid 3-4 defensive scheme after Mike Nolan was fired as coach. Singletary gave defensive coordinator Greg Manusky autonomy to run the show.</p><p>“Coach Manusky gives me a little leeway,” Franklin said. “If he thinks I can go ahead and penetrate, he gives me a chance to go ahead.”</p><p>Franklin has been credited with 6.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, in addition to his quarterback sacks.</p><p>The simplification of his role on defense is one of the factors Franklin has excelled. Niners team sources also point to Franklin reporting to camp 15 pounds lighter and the fact that he's in a contract year as contributing factors to his big season.</p><p>If the NFL Players Association and the league's owners do not reach agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement, only players with six accrued seasons who are unsigned for 2010 will be eligible for unrestricted free agency.</p><p>Theoretically, with a watered-down free-agent crop and no salary cap in place, Franklin could be a hot commodity on the open market. But the 49ers don't plan on letting him get away.</p><p>If the 49ers do not sign him to a contract extension, they are planning to restrict his bargaining power by assigning him as their franchise player with a one-year tender of approximately $6.9 million. Other teams can still negotiate with Franklin, but they would have to surrender two first-round picks to sign him.</p><p>Franklin said his uncertainty for next season weighs on his mind, but he is also remaining focused on finishing the season strong.</p><p>“It kind of does, but right now my main goal is to help get to the playoffs and hopefully I'll be back here,” Franklin said. “I'll worry about that other stuff after the season.”</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@press</p><p>democrat.com.</p>