SANTA CLARA – You don't have to know Nate Clements' jersey number to locate him on the practice field. All you have to do is listen. He's the one whose deep voice booms above the other players on the San Francisco defense. Doesn't matter if it's team drills or individual drills, he can be heard talking or laughing, laughing or talking. It's hard to know which comes first because Clements, a standout cornerback, blends the two with the same ease that he shuts down wide receivers.
As he goes through a workout, there's the sense that he's right where he wants to be. Not on a beach or at a resort, but in the middle of a seemingly never-ending procession of two-a-day practices beneath a bright summer sun.
“The only guy that I know that likes to practice more – and I don't know how he is now, but in his early days – was Ray (Lewis),” 49ers coach Mike Nolan said of the Ravens' perennial Pro Bowl linebacker. “Ray loved to practice, and so does Nate. He has a passion for the game.”
And for challenges.
In signing with San Francisco in March, Clements joined a defense that surrendered a league-high 412 points last season and 428 the year before. The unit, which ranked 26th against the pass, had more question marks than exclamation points, unless the exclamation point came immediately after the question mark – which was the case at most positions.
The simple explanation for why he would willingly take on these problems as his own was that the 49ers gave him the largest contract for a defensive player in league history, a staggering eight-year, $80 million deal that included $22 million in guarantees. But the truth is that Clements, the top cornerback in his free-agent class, could have gotten a deal in the same neighborhood, if not on the same block, from other clubs that had more talent on paper.
But Clements liked what he heard from Nolan, who laid out an intriguing plan for upgrading the defense. He also liked the idea of trying to restore the shine to a franchise that was the model organization in all of sports in the 1980s and part of the 1990s but has had only two winning seasons the past eight years.
To understand his mindset, consider his response when someone at his introductory news conference asked him about lining up one-on-one every Sunday against the other team's best wideout.
“I just accept it as a challenge, and I'm definitely game,” Clements said. “I say that I'm the best, and I say that with conviction.”
Clements' impact on the defense – which was further upgraded by the signings of safety Michael Lewis and defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin and the drafting of linebacker Patrick Willis – won't be felt until the Sept. 10 season opener in a nationally televised against divisional foe Arizona – on a Monday night. In the meantime, Nolan believes he has gotten a solid return on the team's investment.
“We haven't played a game yet, but up to this point I think the accountability is the very first thing that comes to mind with Nate,” Nolan said. “He signed his contract and he came in, got a house and got right into the offseason program when it started. So the accountability is big.
“A lot of times when a free agent signs, they kind of wallow in that high profile like, 'Look at me, here I am, aren't I great?' He came in right away and went to work. The tape will tell you what type of player you're getting on the field, but you're never really sure what kind of person you're getting. Up to this point, I'm as pleased about the person as I am the player.”
Feel-bad story
An interesting situation is developing in Jacksonville, where former first-round draft choices Matt Jones and Reggie Williams are not in the starting lineup at wideout.
Jones (2005 selection) is listed as the third receiver, while Williams (2004) is listed as third-team. New receivers coach Todd Monken made it high-definition clear to the Florida Times-Union that the players will have to earn their playing time, regardless of where they were drafted.
“If they don't do it right, they can't be here,” he said. “I don't know what else to say. I can't put my family on the line for guys that don't do it right. . . . Guys take reps based on where they're at. If they (Williams and Jones) can't figure it out, you can't paint more of a vivid picture. It's time for Reggie and Matt to do it. If not now, when?”
Ouch!
Feel-good story
Running back Priest Holmes knows he has doubters. He rejoined the Chiefs last month after being sidelined nearly two full years because of a spinal-cord concussion he sustained in a game against the Chargers, and recently he acknowledged being aware of the skepticism regarding his return.
“Dubious is a great word (for how skeptics feel), but dedication is a little more defined and concrete,” he said. “It's about perseverance and about having a great story to tell. We have what's called 'Making it rain' and we have the dog fighting. We have so many things that have cast a negative light on the NFL. So when you have a great story about perseverance, about coming back after 22 long months with no running or lifting at all, it's a great story to show guys that, regardless of what situation you're in, you can persevere. This is coming from a guy that's coming into his 11th year.”
Holmes still has to show he can perform. He opened camp on the physically unable-to-perform list and has been unable to participate in team drills. Until Holmes takes a hit at full speed in a game, the skepticism will remain.
Jim Trotter: (619) 293-1859; jim.trotter@uniontrib.com
