The biggest part of free agency is over and the teams are getting ready to fill their remaining roster needs through the draft. It's time to evaluate the free agency moves of every NFC West team, starting with the defending division champions, the San Francisco 49ers:

The 49ers ranked 26^th in total offense last season. While they gained 127.4 yards per game on the ground (8^th) the passing offense ranked near the bottom with 183.5 yards per game. The defense ranked 4^th in the league, allowing 77.2 rushing yards per game (1^st) and 230.9 yards per game passing (16^th). The Niners allowed 44 sacks, which were the 7^th most in the league, and recorded 42 sacks, which also tied them for 7^th in the league.  San Francisco's special teams ranked 1^st in punting average as well as average yards per kickoff return and 5^th in average yards per punt return. Opposing special teams ranked 18^th in punting average, 20^th in average yards per kickoff return and 22^nd in average yards per punt return against the 49ers.

From these numbers it becomes clear that San Francisco's primary need is a wide receiver and their secondary need is a defensive back. A pass protector, preferably a right tackle may be needed as well.

The 49ers franchised FS Dashon Goldson, re-signed QB Alex Smith, WR Ted Ginn Jr., DT Will Tukuafu, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LB Tavares Gooden, CB Carlos Rogers, S C.J. Spillman, and acquired QB Josh Johnson, RB Brandon Jacobs, FB Rock Cartwright, WR Mario Manningham, WR Randy Moss and CB Perrish Cox.

With the re-signing of Ahmad Brooks, Carlos Rogers and Dashon Goldson San Francisco made sure that all 11 defensive starters would return in 2012. Head coach Jim Harbaugh showed that Alex Smith is capable of leading a successful offense. This signing is important, considering that the Niners were without a proven passer for about a week. Brandon Jacobs adds depth to the offensive backfield. On paper Mario Manningham and Randy Moss have to be considered an upgrade at the receiver position. Will Tukuafu is an investment in the future, as he is a young and talented interior lineman. Perrish Cox adds depth to the secondary and can be used as a returner. Ted Ginn Jr., Tavares Gooden, C.J. Spillman and Rock Cartwright should guarantee that San Francisco's special team remains one of the best units in the NFL.

Josh Johnson is the only signing I do not understand. I know that the 49ers wanted him all along and see him as Alex Smith's primary backup but isn't QB Colin Kaepernick the designated heir to the throne? The Niners also have QB Scott Tolzien, whom I consider to be the most talented among the backup quarterbacks.

The 49ers lost WR Josh Morgan (WAS), RG Adam Snyder (ARI), LB Blake Costanzo (CHI), CB Shawntae Spencer (OAK) and S Reggie Smith (CAR).

At first I wasn't too happy about Josh Morgan's departure but Mario Manningham is the better player in my opinion and Manningham and Randy Moss come cheaper than what Morgan is going to earn in Washington. The jury is still out on the loss of Blake Costanzo. Rock Cartwright, his replacement, is more versatile and has been an efficient tackler on Oakland's special teams unit. Shawntae Spencer's release had to be expected due to the emergence of CB Tarrell Brown and Chris Culliver as well as the acquisition of Perrish Cox. I was surprised when the Niners allowed Reggie Smith to leave. He is young and his playing time increased as a defensive back in the dime formation. I am assuming the Niners have big plans for C.J. Spillman, which would explain Smith's move to Carolina.

I totally disagree with the reluctance of re-signing Adam Snyder. I once featured him as one of the main reasons why the 49ers transformed from a pretender into a contender last season and still believe that he gave the offensive line stability. What's worse, the Niners didn't land a replacement in free agency, which worries me, as I prefer a battle-proven lineman to a rookie to replace a starter on the offensive line.

San Francisco's remaining free agents are FB Moran Norris, TE Justin Peelle, G Chilo Rachal, LB Larry Grant, CB Tramaine Brock and S Madieu Williams.

I expect the Niners to eventually re-sign Larry Grant and Tramaine Brock. Madieu Williams could return unless the Niners add considerable depth through the draft. Adam Snyder's departure means it's possible the Niners bring back Chilo Rachal, though he has yet to prove that he deserves to be a starter.   

My verdict is that the 49ers fixed their problem at the wide receiver position, added depth to the defensive and offensive backfield and stabilized their special teams unit. On the other hand, San Francisco's offensive line has been weakened and they did not address their need for pass protection. If the Niners want to be a better team in 2012 they will be forced to look into trade scenarios.

I agree with 17 of their 19 free agency moves, which is a percentage of 89%.

S Reggie Smith (25)

Reggie Smith’s playing time is increasing as the team’s additional defensive back in the dime formation. He recorded 1 interception against the Cincinnati Bengals in the third game of the season. Smith was a third round pick in 2008 and could well receive another contract offer.

QB Alex Smith (27)

Despite having his best season so far opinions are still split on the former number one draft pick but you should be aware of the alternatives before you call for his replacement. Drew Brees (NO) is going to be a free agent but there is no way that he won’t re-sign with the New Orleans Saints. The next best available free agents are Kyle Orton (KC), Jason Campbell (OAK) and Donovan McNabb (FA). Head coach Jim Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for 15 years and seems to have gotten into Alex Smith’s head. Rumor has it the 49ers will offer Smith a two to three-year contract worth $8 – 11 million per season.

RG Adam Snyder (29)

Snyder started the season on the bench but once he replaced Chilo Rachal in week 4 San Francisco’s pass protection and rushing game improved considerably. It would be negligent not to re-sign him.

S C.J. Spillman (25)

Spillman is a special teams standout and sometimes plays as part of the goal line defense. If he stays on he will continue to see limited action apart from special teams. He is a restricted free agent, which means he can entertain offers from other teams, though the 49ers can match any offer or receive compensation in form of draft picks. The Niners should try to keep their successful special teams unit together, unless he receives an offer that isn’t worth matching.

WR Brett Swain (26)

The 49ers signed the wide receiver less than two months ago to fill the void left by Josh Morgan’s season-ending leg injury. His game status changes from active to inactive, depending on player injuries. The Niners have no reason to sign Swain beyond this season.

DE Will Tukuafu (27)

The 49ers were hoping that Tukuafu could make an impact on the defensive line but they had to place him on IR in October instead. He is an ERFA, hence it would be a surprise if the Niners didn’t try it again with him next season.

S Madieu Williams (30)

The veteran was brought in to compete for a starting job but finds himself on special teams and has even been a healthy scratch. The 49ers have a few young and promising defensive backs and don’t necessarily need the services of Williams in 2012.

If you were watching Sunday’s 48-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers you probably expected big performances from the usual suspects. RB Frank Gore ran for 125 yards and 1 touchdown, TE Vernon Davis caught 2 touchdown passes, RILB Patrick Willis had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery and DE Justin Smith recorded 1 sack. But the Niners got contributions from a number of players, especially their rookies.         

San Francisco’s first-round draft pick OLB Aldon Smith isn’t a starter yet but it only seems to be a matter of time for this to happen. He had 2 second-half sacks against Tampa Bay, which gives him 3.5 sacks in his last two games. He leads the team with 4 sacks. It’s early in the season but I have already seen his name appear in Defensive Rookie of the Year discussions.

QB Colin Kaepernick was drafted in the second round and came late into the game for one drive in the fourth quarter. He lead the offense 90 yards downfield for a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Anthony Dixon and completed each of his 3 pass attempts for a total of 35 yards and a passer rating of 115.3.

CB Chris Culliver, San Francisco’s third-rounder, was only one of three healthy cornerbacks on Sunday, when Tramaine Brock (hand) was ruled out and Shawntae Spencer’s status was questionable due to a toe injury. Culliver had to play a bigger role and he did just that. His first career interception, which he returned for 23 yards, set up Frank Gore’s touchdown for a 21-3 lead.

The 49ers chose RB Kendall Hunter in the fourth round of this year’s draft but nobody could possibly have anticipated back then that he is getting a considerable amount of carries in his first year. On Sunday Hunter ran for 65 yards on 9 carries and helped setting up Anthony Dixon’s touchdown late in the fourth quarter. In 5 games Kendall Hunter has rushed for 133 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry, and 1 touchdown.

DB Colin Jones was taken in the sixth round. He was promoted to the 53-man roster last week when the 49ers had to place DE Will Tukuafu on IR. San Francisco is deep at the safety positions but he is part of one of the best special teams units in the NFL.

The only rookie who started on Sunday was seventh-round pick FB Bruce Miller, who replaced the injured Moran Norris. Miller doesn’t have the statistics to show for but Frank Gore will be the first to admit that Miller’s blocking helped him to run for over 100 yards in each of his last two games.

A while ago I predicted that San Francisco’s future looks bright. It seems like the future is already here.

On a date that is significant in US history, Ted Ginn Jr. made history as a football player. He became the first 49er to return a kick and a punt for a touchdown in the same game, and the first NFL player to achieve this on opening weekend. “I didn’t amaze myself but I didn’t think they were going to come right back and kick it to me. I wanted to make them pay,” was Ginn’s response.

The scoreless first quarter could be described as “3 and out” on both sides. Even Seattle’s first drive would have ended after just four plays had LB Tavares Gooden not run into punter Jon Ryan, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty and a new first down.

San Francisco’s defense got to Seattle’s quarterback on several occasions early on. Defensive ends Ray McDonald and Justin Smith sacked Tarvaris Jackson on a third down to force a punt on each occasion.  

Ironically it was Ted Ginn Jr. who set up San Francisco’s first scoring drive. Late in the first quarter he returned a punt for 31 yards to Seattle’s 27-yard line. Six plays later, and 50 seconds into the second quarter, the 49ers put the first points on the scoreboard, when David Akers hit a 27-yard field goal.

Seattle’s offense remained ineffective in the second quarter but the 49ers were on a roll now. San Francisco turned every possession into points. When linebacker Parys Haralson sacked Tarvaris Jackson rookie defensive end Will Tukuafu recovered the loose ball and returned it for 12 yards to Seattle’s 9-yard line. Four plays later the 49ers had to settle for a 24-yard field goal from David Akers to extend the lead to 6-0.

San Francisco’s third possession of the quarter took 6:38 off the clock and ended with David Akers hitting his third field goal of the night, this time from 31 yards. But the Niners weren’t done yet. With 1:44 left in the first half, the 49ers received the ball for another drive at Seattle’s 49-yard line. Quarterback Alex Smith’s two minute offense led the team to the Seahawks 9-yard line, where the defense committed two penalties on 3^rd and 5 to give the Niners another first down on the 1-yard line. Alex Smith took matters in his own hand and rushed for the touchdown to give the 49ers a 16-0 half time lead.

Alex Smith, who is used to boos from the home crowd was cheered on by the fans in this game. He played like the leader the organization envisioned him to be when they drafted him number one overall in 2005. Smith completed 15 of his 20 pass attempts for 124 yards and a passer rating of 90.4.

Each of San Francisco’s third quarter drives ended after four plays but the Seahawks managed to cut the lead to 9, when an 8-yard pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Golden Tate was good for a touchdown.

The Seahawks began the fourth quarter with a 39-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka for a 16-10 score. Another time-consuming drive that lasted 8:55 made it a two-possession game again when David Akers scored from 18 yards, his fourth field goal of the night. The Seahawks responded immediately with a 55-yard touchdown from Doug Baldwin. And this is when the Ted Ginn Jr. show started.

On the ensuing kick-off Ted Ginn Jr. carried the ball out of his own end zone and into Seattle’s for a 102-yard kick-off return touchdown to give the Niners a 26-17 lead. When the Seahawks had to punt on their next possession Ginn Jr. got the ball again and ran for a 55-yard punt return touchdown for the final score of 33-17.

The players gave head coach Jim Harbaugh the best possible present for his head coaching debut in the NFL, a win and the top rank in the NFC West. “It feels good. A great thrill of winning,” Harbaugh said. “I’m very proud of our players.”

I wonder if Seattle’s head coach Pete Carroll asked Ted Ginn Jr. what his deal is. I mean, Ginn Jr. did run up the score a little, did he not?