CB Nate Clements (All B1G, NFL Pro Bowl)

[Buckskin86]

Nate Clements. 6-0, 205. When the receiver you are primarily responsible for covering goes for 213 yards and a touchdown, it doesn't make you look very good. When that receiver is Terrell Owens and every eyeball in the sports world is watching, you really suffer. Such was Nate Clements' experience during a Week 12 game in Irving, Texas last season. Clements, the team's $80 million man, was roundly criticized in the media following that game. Afterward, his coaches and teammates defended him, arguing that Owens' monster game wasn't Clements' fault. Indeed, safety Keith Lewis had deep coverage on Owens' 75-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, and he didn't show up in time. Lewis is no longer on the squad ...

The truth is that Clements has been very solid for the 49ers. He's a smart player and he's the understood captain of the secondary. He's been very low-keyed with the media, but it's clear he's held in very high esteem by his teammates. His gigantic salary has not dulled his work ethic. The question is whether he's worth the massive free-agent contract he got in 2007. Just like 2008's big addition, Justin Smith, Clements is a relentless worker, who's never going to embarrass the team and who sets an excellent example for every young player on the roster. But like Smith, he is not known as a big-play maker. Clements had two interceptions last season. And for what he's making, you might expect more.

49ers Blog and Q&A: Position-by-position: Covering the cornerbacks

 

[Buckskin86]

22-Nate Clements: Somebody who knows a lot about CB play told me -- after watching Clements this summer -- that he is not as technically sound as you'd expect from a nine-year veteran. He is susceptible to double-moves because he sometimes commits to the receiver's first move before the wideout takes his third step. A receiver can make a double-move on the first step or the third step, and if a corner closes before the third step, he can't recover. OK, that said, Clements brings a lot more positive than negative to the table. He's still clearly the team's best corner.

Matt Maiocco's Instant 49ers

Positively Profiling - Nate Clements
by Andrew Davidson on Aug 11, 2009

Often in the NFL, stories are circulated and published about criminal behaviour, attitude complexes, and contract disputes. Recently, an example like Michael Vick re-entering the NFL has brought about debate and discussion concerning that player?s past and future. Michael Crabtree?s contract dispute is another example of frustrating discussion. Instead of putting together a laundry list of the bad things, I?ve decided to focus on something, someone, positive.

Enter Nate Clements, the prize free agent signing of San Francisco?s 2007 offseason. The Clements signing certainly wasn?t well received by everyone, and the "$80 million contract" was a popular topic for criticism (especially after 2007?s 5-11 finish). While the contract is rich, it would be hard for any player to live up to the expectations of "highest paid CB" in the league. Off the field, however, Nate Clements has more than lived up to expectations.

Not only has Clements remained a model citizen, he has participated in several community events and has donated much of his own personal time. Often people with fat wallets just sign a check and mail it to a charity; not Nate Clements. Nate is an active participant in community events like the 49ers Family Day and Pasta Bowl event. During the Pasta Bowl event, Clements served fans pasta and at the Family Day signed autographs. Dishing out pasta and signing photos is just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to Fooch, through Lisa Goodwin (49ers Publicity Manager), I have a good chunk of what Nate does in his spare time. Here are some examples:

Positively Profiling - Nate?Clements - Niners Nation

 

[Magua]

Great article showing what a great person Nate is off the field. Good to hear stories like this as opposed to the normal bad stuff going on around professional athletes.

 

[brodybuck21]

Great to hear. Always liked Nate Clements. His punt return for a td vs purdue in 2000 was fun to watch.

:osu:

 

[Buckskin86]

Left cornerback Nate Clements continued his preseason struggles, allowing several big chunks of yardage in coverage against the Cowboys. The 49ers made Clements the highest-paid defender in NFL history when they gave him an $80 million deal in 2007 free agency.

"I think sometimes a guy can lose focus in the preseason," Singletary said. "The important thing is he's continuing to go forward and he'll clean it up. Nate knows what he has to do."

Read more: 49ers safety suffers 2nd concussion in 2 weeks

 

[Buckskin86]

For Clements' game prep, it's all about the video
By Daniel Brown
[email protected]
09/02/2009

Nate Clements was shopping at Walgreens the other day when he noticed a familiar face peering at him from the magazine rack: Cardinals receiver

Larry Fitzgerald is on the cover of this month's Men's Fitness.

Fitzgerald shows off his physique and washboard stomach. Clements isn't overly impressed by the shirtless photo shoot.

"I thought you had to have abs for that," he joked.

Clements might want to be careful with his quips, considering he's going to have to cover the cover boy in the 49ers' season opener in Arizona on Sept. 13.

Moreover, Clements has endured some rough patches during the preseason games, including allowing a few big gainers against Dallas.

But he fared fine against Fitzgerald a year ago, when the Cardinals' star totaled only 31 and 46 yards in two games against San Francisco.

Maybe that's why Clements feels he can make a few jokes about Fitzgerald's tummy.

What about Clements' stomach?

"I'm assuming you've seen the movie '300,' right?" Clements said. "They used me as a trainer."

http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13249061?nclick_check=1

 

[Buckskin86]

Clements: 'I'll be ready' for regular season
By MATT MAIOCCO
The Press Democrat
Wednesday, September 2, 2009

SANTA CLARA ? There is a logical reason cornerback Nate Clements surrendered more than a handful of completions in front of him in the 49ers? first three exhibition games.

Nate Clements had two of his better games against the Cardinals last season, limiting All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a combined 11 passes for 77 yards in two games .
JOHN BURGESS / The Press Democrat

Clements said he was merely working on an aspect of his game that he?s determined to improve.

?I?m always trying to work on my weakness,? Clements said Wednesday. ?I know everybody knows me as a physical corner, but I want to work on my weakness because I know my strengths are always going to be there.?

Clements, an eight-year veteran who is the team?s highest-paid player, is known for his bump-and-run coverage and helping out in the run game. But rather than play a physical style of coverage in the exhibition games, Clements has worked on playing off the line of scrimmage.

He yielded three completions on the first drive against the Denver Broncos before intercepting a pass in the end zone. Clements was called for a 22-yard pass interference penalty, then failed to drop deep enough on a 24-yard scoring pass to Raiders rookie receiver Louis Murphy.

Clements was beaten by undrafted rookie Kevin Olgletree on passes of 15 and 21 yards early in the 49ers? game Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys. Patrick Crayton also caught a 19-yard pass on him.

Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said he is not worried ? yet.

?As long as it is done in the preseason, it is OK and it doesn?t happen in the regular season,? Manusky said. ?He has had a pretty good camp leading up to a couple of those games and having those things happen. You have to keep on working at it and trust his technique and his eyes.?

Clements is not expected to get much playing time Friday night when the 49ers conclude the exhibition season against the San Diego Chargers. But he promises to be up to the challenge when the 49ers open the regular season Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.

?I?m going to be ready when the season starts,? Clements said.

Clements had two of his better games against the Cardinals last season, limiting All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald to his two lowest-output games of the year. Fitzgerald caught just 11 passes for 77 yards in two games against Clements.

Manusky said he is confident Clements has worked hard to get ready for the regular season.

?He had a heck of an offseason during the (offseason program) and training camp leading all the way through,? Manusky said. ?He is eager. You just have to trust his technique and keep building on it.?

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...le=Clements-I-ll-be-ready-for-regular-season#

 

[Buckskin86]

Meanwhile, even some of the players with a secure employment have things to worry about. Most disconcertingly for the 49ers is the play of struggling cornerback Nate Clements, who played just one series but still found time to surrender a 39-yard touchdown pass to Kassim Osgood.

That was Clements' last play before the real thing. The 49ers open the regular season next week against defending NFC champion Arizona and showstopping receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"Nate knows he has to get better,'' Singletary said. "He has to be more detailed about what he's doing and be more consistent. We'll address that going forward."

http://www.insidebayarea.com/49ers/ci_13275167

Nate Clements was beaten on another long pass play, which resulted in the Chargers' first touchdown. SF Gate's Kevin Lynch floated a theory this week that I think deserves attention. Clements is good in tight space, such as the red-zone drill in which he shined in Napa. But when he has a lot of field behind him, he has struggled, at least in the preseason. Perhaps he needs more safety help than he's accustomed.

49ers Blog and Q&A: Dominated in San Diego

 

[Buckskin86]

49ers (0-0) at Cardinals (0-0)
Spotlight on: Nate Clements
John Crumpacker
Sunday, September 13, 2009

Maybe Clements was bored playing games that don't count. "I could have done better," he said.

Whatever the reason, he's got to rebound quickly, because today's assignment is the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald, riding a high as perhaps the best wide receiver in the league. Fitzgerald is big and buffed and football-fast.

Over the last two years, Fitzgerald has caught 196 passes for 2,840 yards and 22 touchdowns. However, he was held to 77 yards in receptions in two games against Clements in '08.

"I really don't have any secret," Clements said. "I look at film, see what he does and I do my best to take away those things. I study and go out and work at it hard. You've got to prepare yourself physically and mentally."

Read more: 49ers (0-0) at Cardinals (0-0) / Spotlight on: Nate Clements

 

[Buckskin86]

What's up?

Nate back to being great.

What's up with cornerback Nate Clements? Here's a guy who looked like he should have been cut in the exhibition season, to his Pro Bowl play in the last two games? Every time you ask Clements you get a different answer. He said last week that he works on techniques in exhibitions that wouldn't bust out in the regular season. But on this week, Clements had a different take.

"You don't have your packages in," Clements said of preseason. He also said in preseason you don't study your opponent and Clements, being a student of the game, depends a lot on that. And he said, "You just got to work through the funk. I have confidence in myself."

Read more: Niner Insider : What's up?

 

[Buckskin86]

49ers CB Clements rebounds from rough preseason
Posted Sept. 25, 2009
By Dan Arkush

After looking outstanding in an August scrimmage against the Raiders that more than a few observers and 49ers players said might have been the team's "best practice ever," CB Nate Clements' level of play suddenly went straight downhill.

But after never looking worse in a Niners uniform much of the preseason, the team's high-priced cornerback never looked better in San Francisco's first two victories against the Cardinals and Seahawks.

"It's as good as I've seen him play," one team insider said. "He is so quick to recognize things in the cover-2. He comes off receivers so fast and offers just outstanding run support. He did a great job holding (Cardinals star WR) Larry Fitzgerald in check in the first game, and against Seattle (six tackles, four pass breakups) he really only allowed two catches."

Clements acknowledged his preseason funk in a conversation with PFW four days before the Niners' Week Three visit to Minnesota.

"I remember a quote from Herman Edwards: 'Tough men will last through the tough times.' " he said. "There will be times when the ball just doesn't bounce your way and your game gets in a funk. That's when you just have to keep grinding away, just keep working regardless of what people might say."

ProFootballWeekly.com - 49ers CB Clements rebounds from rough preseason

 

[buckeyemania11]

Nate just took a blocked field goal to the house to give the 49ers a 14-13 halftime lead

 

[Buckskin86]

video of the blocked kick TD...

NFL Videos: WK 3 Can't-Miss Play: 49ers block FG for TD

 

[Buckskin86]

Poole: Clements fails to meet lockdown hype
By Monte Poole
Bay Area News Group
10/21/2009

The 49ers and their fans are sweating the offense, wondering if Michael Crabtree can give it some juice, hoping coordinator Jimmy Raye will summon creativity from a mind more comfortable with basics.

Nate Clements, for one, ought to be thankful.

The curiosity about Crabtree, the obsession with fixing a stagnant running game and a deficient offensive line foster a climate that at least partially obscures the shortcomings of the cornerback who arrived in 2007 on a vessel of hype crafted from his sterling reputation and the staggering contract negotiated by his agent.

Clements' $80 million ($22 million guaranteed), eight-year deal ? since adjusted to $64 million over seven years ? made him at the time the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. His play through 36 games as a 49er has not measured up to his salary.

Poole: Clements fails to meet lockdown hype - San Jose Mercury News

 

[Buckskin86]

Brown gets promotion in Indy; Clements takes reduced role

When the 49ers began working toward a contract extension with third-year cornerback Tarell Brown in late September, it was apparent that he figured into the team's future.

Well, the future has arrived.

Brown is set to take over at left cornerback for Nate Clements because the 49ers' coaches believe he matches up better against the Indianapolis Colts' receivers. The Colts use a lot of three-receiver sets, so Clements will probably be on the field for most of the game, too.

In all likelihood, veteran Dre' Bly will be the 49ers' fourth cornerback on Sunday.

The San Francisco Chronicle made mention of this change in today's paper, as Brown confirmed starting in "all alignments."

I asked coach Mike Singletary after Friday's practice whether Brown would start to take on a larger role. Clearly, Singletary was not quite ready to make any announcement:

"I think for Tarell Brown, it's just something all the way from training camp, just trying to get him back in the mix and trying to get him on the field more to play more," Singletary said. "It was just a shame, kind of like [WR] Brandon Jones when Brandon got hurt. They were both doing a great job making strides and had a setback."

Brown was in competition for a starting job whe training camp opened, but he sustained a toe sprain that forced him to miss most of camp.

"I think Tarell Brown has worked himself in a situation to try and get more playing time," Singletary said. "So it's just something that we have to monitor as coaches and really try and put him in the best position to win."

I'm told this is a one-week demotion for Clements based on the team's belief that Brown matches up better against the style of receivers the 49ers will face against the Colts. Indianapolis' offense is comprised of a bunch of mostly 6-foot tall receivers, such as Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon.

Clements and his physical style is better suited to bigger wideouts. The Colts' biggest receiver is 6-4 Hank Baskett, who has just one catch this season. Clements might return to his usual role next week against the Titans.

Still, this is a significant move for the 49ers to give Clements a reduction in playing time.

After all, Clements scheduled salary takes a leap to $6 million next year. A cornerback who makes that much should have the coaches' confidence to be successful against any type of receiver.

Matt Maiocco's Instant 49ers