Gray beard Brooks still a threat
With Lynch out four games, 49ers will lean on veteran LB
ENGLEWOOD, Colorado — Ahmad Brooks is the gray beard of the 49ers defense, a 32-year-old outside linebacker who is one of the last survivors of their 2012 season’s Super Bowl run.
What is he still doing there, amid the franchise’s obvious rebuild?
Brooks represents the 49ers’ best chance of sacking quarterbacks, at least through the season’s first four games while Aaron Lynch serves a suspension for substance-abuse.
Brooks won’t disagree with that assessment.
“I believe in my heart that I’m one of the best football players in the NFL today, regardless what position I play,” Brooks said this week. “That’s how I’ve been my whole life: I’ve just been one of the best guys on the team.”
He looked like one of the best Thursday in a joint practice with the host Den- ver Broncos. He produced a would-be sack of Mark Sanchez and nearly intercepted rookie Trevor Siemian, who will start Saturday night’s exhibition.
It’s the second straight year the 49ers worked out at the Broncos’ facility on back-to-back days prior to an exhibition. But Brooks didn’t stick around for last year’s follow-up practice.
A year ago, Brooks had to fly home before that Thursday’s practice, having been charged by Santa Clara County prosecutors with sexual battery in a December 2014 incident with a woman at former 49ers Ray McDonald’s house.
His tenure with the 49ers was in jeopardy, as was his legal freedom, of course. Brooks has not discussed the case as it weaves through the judicial system. A July 18 pretrial conference was continued to Nov. 21, according to prosecutors.
Trent Baalke, the 49ers general manager, wasn’t aware of Brooks’ legal standing when the topic came up Wednesday during an interview. Nothing new has happened regarding the case since Baalke and the 49ers aligned themselves with Brooks amid his troubles.
“Ahmad and I, along with ownership, we sat down and had a great visit when Ahmad was going through a lot of this,” Baalke said. “We listened to him. We dug into the situation. We decided it was in the best interest in all of us to stand behind the player.
“He’s made some mistakes; he’s well aware he’s made some mistakes,” Baalke added. “… I couldn’t be happier with the progress he’s made off the field. He’s done everything asked of him.”
On the field, Brooks had a sack, three tackles and chased down a running back in Sunday’s opener.
Brooks’ 45½ sacks since 2009 rank him fourth on the 49ers’ all-time list of sack leaders. His next regular-season sack will tie him with Dana Stubblefield for third place behind Bryant Young (89.5) and Charles Haley (66.5).
“What Ahmad does really well is his feel for football,” outside linebackers coach Jason Tarver said. “When he starts with speed and feels blockers, he’s really good at seeing and bursting from that blocker to get to the quarterback.”