You can rest easy, San Francisco 49ers fans, as the chances of the team bringing back fullback Moran Norris are now slim to none. Actually, they were already pretty close to that mark, but given the power running attack the 49ers utilize, the team didn't really have a true backup fullback in the scenario that Bruce Miller goes down with an injury like he did in 2011. Any scenario in which Norris might play is regarded as a doomsday scenario, more-so than any other potential backup scenario since ... well, since 2011 and Chilo Rachal at the right guard position.
Oh yes, back to the original point - being that the 49ers have signed Rock Cartwright to a contract in free agency. Now, Cartwright isn't known for his fullback prowess and he certainly doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in that area, but a backup is a backup, to varying degrees, and the 49ers can't afford to put too much stock into one of them. So why the excitement over Cartwright?
He's a special teams ace, and in case you forgot, the 49ers just lost one of those aces in Blake Costanzo, who signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Bears after not receiving an offer from San Francisco. San Francisco knows all too-well what it's like to lose one of their prized special teams possessions, when Michael Robinson and Donald Strickland departed during the Mike Singletary "era." The coverage units suffered and it cost them at least a couple games.
Regardless of the fact that the 49ers have C.J. Spillman and guys like Colin Jones and Tavares Gooden, they absolutely needed another guy, preferably a high-energy kind. Cartwright fits that bill in every way and can be a leader on and off the field. He's going to hustle to make every tackle and he's going to do his best to make everyone around him better. Most importantly, he's a big locker room guy, and for the 49ers in particular, that's something they need.
Why is it important for the 49ers in particular? Just look at the energy of their special teams unit in 2011. Everybody was dancing, everybody was hyped up and everybody had total trust in every single person there. They were the most energetic unit in the NFL - and the most effective. The 49ers need to keep that going.