SANTA CLARA – NaVorro Bowman is in no hurry to find out who will be lining up to him at inside linebacker for the regular season.
The 49ers’ third exhibition game is scheduled for Friday night against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium. It remains a three-way contest among Michael Wilhoite, Ray-Ray Armstrong and Gerald Hodges for the starting role.
“I think I communicate with all three guys about the same,” Bowman said. “But there's no rush to find that out. Coach is going to put the best guy out there. If the competition runs through the first game, guys are just going to have to deal with it.”
Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil suggested he might even turn the job into a week-to-week decision.
“If it takes to Week 5, Week 6 in the season, I’m fine with that,” O’Neil said. “I’m sure those guys would like to know, but I’m going to put the best 11 out there. And if we have 12 or 13 that deserve to play, then those guys will play.”
Wilhoite, who started 28 games the past two seasons, is likely better-suited to handle the role in the run game. He recorded 172 tackles the past two seasons and also doubles as Bowman’s backup.
Armstrong (6 foot 3, 220 pounds) is good in pass coverage, which gives O’Neil flexibility on obvious passing downs to keep him on the field. A lot of times, a safety is brought into the game to play the role of the dime linebacker.
“With his skill set and him having the background of playing in the secondary and with some of the things we can do with him coverage-wise, we don’t feel right now like we need to do that as a defense,” O’Neil said. “It is a little bit of a first for me, given how athletic he can be and the plays he can make in space.”
Hodges, who started three of the four games in which he appeared with Minnesota last season before coming to the 49ers in a trade, did not help his cause last week when he abandoned his gap on a play that resulted in Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson’s 19-yard touchdown run. The Broncos were held out of the end zone on their next six possessions of the first half.
When asked what changed, Bowman said players have to gain an understanding of when it's OK to overstep their bounds to attempt to make a tackle and when patience is required.
“Guys just not understanding in the NFL, it’s team defense," he said. "You have a job to do and you go make that play. Some of the plays aren’t meant for you to make. You become good when everyone understands that. It was something minor, small, but caused a huge void in our defense.”
