Still going strong with our series on Ex-Bills, we now dive into a man who really needs no introduction. Love him or hate him, there's no denying that there's always been a polarizing affect when it comes to Donte Whitner. We are joined by David Fucillo from Niners Nation to let us know how Whitner's 3 years went down in Northern California. Enjoy and tell a friend.
1) How would you sum up Donte Whitner's time in SF?
Whitner's time in San Francisco has been very solid. He's proven to be a big hitter that can set the tone for this defense. He's been mostly an in-the-box strong safety, with the 49ers using their free safety in more of a center-field role. He struggled in coverage his first two seasons, but showed significant improvement in coverage in year three. I think he's been an important part of rookie safety Eric Reid's development this year.
2) I remember one of Donte's bigger weaknesses was covering TEs? Has he gotten better at it?
The 49ers really don't use him much to cover tight ends. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman handle that role. As I said, Whitner improved in coverage this year. Late this season, Whitner told the media that after last season he had spoken with the team's DC and secondary coach, and they told him his coverage needed to improve. He worked on it this offseason, and it seemed to be improved to the point that this was his best all-around season with the team.
3) How does he interact with fans on Twitter? I only ask that because at the start of Donte's career here, he was a fan favorite with the way he interacted with them, but then he got kind of rogue on Twitter towards the end of his tenure here.
He's generally pretty solid with fans on Twitter. I recall reading that things got a little nasty toward the end of his time in Buffalo, but thus far I haven't seen that. He'll respond to people, but he doesn't seem to be overly interactive recently.
4) I know he's a FA, do you see the 49ers re-signing him and if you were the GM would you?
I think he should be re-signed, but I don't think the team brings him back. The 49ers face a cap crunch this offseason with some of their younger players coming up for contract extensions. He brings great value, but I think the 49ers end up trying to find a young option in the draft.
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