2015 San Francisco 49ers Season Preview

San Francisco 49ers

2014 Record 8-8

2015 O/U 7

Off Season Overview

For the sake of the 49ers fans I will start with what is coming back. Navarro Bowman was the best MLB in the league until missing the entire 2014 season with an ACL injury and now comes back with over a year and change off. I expect him back to form and being the biggest boost this team could possibly get. As Bowman comes back he looks around and realizes this isn’t the same team he played with last for the 2013 NFC Championship. His head coach, his defensive coordinator and even the offensive coordinator are gone. His fellow MLB Patrick Willis, and his replacement Chris Borland, gone. Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver, and that’s just the defense that is gone. Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis, Stevie Johnson join the crew to move on in this huge rebuild. I am sure you have seen the graphics but this team is nothing like the team just a year or so ago, and they added very little in year one of the turn around. Torrey Smith will have to replace Crabtree and Johnson, Reggie Bush subs in for Frank Gore, and Eric Pears, a veteran journeyman has to find a role replacing one of two of the gone lineman. None of the additions seem to be upgrades and it looks like a super soaker putting out a building fire, but if you ask me, the front office knows this is going nowhere, drafted a load of developmental players and will give them chances through out the year to build on a future core. Bold strategy, but here comes the new look Niners.

Offensive Strength

The 49ers used to be all of these different weapons that helped Colin Kaepernick, the young mobile QB thrive. Now in 2015, it will have to Kaep carrying the load, and it brings a lot of interesting questions into how the 49ers will thrive. In his first two years the offensive coordinator, Greg Roman seemed to protect him. Variety of formations, sets, motions, and play actions can set up easy decisions, and usually has an “option A or tuck and run” mentality. In 2014 the 49ers tried to see what they had as far as his pocket presence, and he didn’t prosper nearly the same. The progression through his reads is slow, and sometimes misjudged, and he is always going to be a QB that needs to use his legs. If the offense can be centered on quick decisions or runs, Kaepernick will find success, if he needs to be Peyton Manning and pick teams apart it isn’t happening. The team has started to acquire players who would fit his skill set like Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush. Smith is going to be the deep threat and Kaepernick has a cannon. It will be fun to see if he can out throw Smith, because if he gets under it, no defensive back will be there to stop them. Bush is a guy who can motion, can play wide receiver, and can obviously catch out of the backfield. He should be Kaepernicks’ lingering safety blanket, and if he wanted to pass protect he could find a lot of time. Between veterans Joe Staley, Alex Boone, and Anquan Boldin, it isn’t like the offense is completely bare. It just doesn’t have the loaded upside it once had, and it will be a bigger responsibility on Kaepernick to turn this offense into an efficient one.

Offensive Weakness

The main reason I see it being on Kaepernick so much is because the running game scares me. It isn’t anything to sneeze at when the entire right side of your line has been downgraded, and the center position is a question as well. Marcus Martin has only started in eight games with Kaepernick and they exhibited their share of growing pains, fumbles, and delay of games. Aside from setting the team behind the sticks, the running game lost its identity of the last decade in Frank Gore. I was never one who was high on Carlos Hyde, and like him in a more complimentary role. His 4.0 yards per carry average can help my point, but one could argue it was his rookie year, and now he should get the brunt of the carries. He does have pedigree, but so does Mike Davis who was drafted this year and may see time if Hyde cannot get much going. In all I don’t see the two making this running game a threat, and I see Kaepernick as the only runner with real game breaking potential. It may limit the offense, and even with stacked boxes, the offense then becomes Torrey Smith deep or bust. It will be interesting to see how they can get this game going, because with out it, Kaepernick becomes half the QB he once was.

Defensive Strength

The line backing core has always been the strength, and despite the big shifts, it remains the most complete unit on the team. If you expect Bowman to be 100%, you are expecting most likely the best middle linebacker in football. He doesn’t have the same protection beside him, but he is going to be making plays no matter who is he playing with. The pass rush should be something with Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and Corey Lemonier. Brooks and Lynch combined for 12 sacks, and if Lemonier can give something this year it should at least be a matchup problem and a clear strength in terms of depth. Eric Reid is also entering year three as a starting free safety and does have some break out potential, but really aside from Brooks you are looking at the youth of this unit and seeing that as being the teams real strength

Defensive Weakness

It was clear what the 49ers thought of their chances this year by the end of the draft to me. Every single pick, Arik Armstead, Jaquiski Tartt, Eli Harold, I said “give that kid two years and he will really be something.” They went with some of the youngest and most raw players in the entire draft and if these guys can grow around guys like Bowman and Reid, is when you really have something. That said I don’t see either being a key contributor this season. It leaves a lot of holes on the defense, and while I am sure they will get playing time, I am not sure it will be plus playing time. The defensive line is a shell of what it was, and they are hoping Armstead, as well as project Tank Carradine can really be this teams anchors heading to next year. The secondary is Antoine Bethea, holding Tarrts’ seat, and then a revolving door at corner. The 49ers have been in that group of teams that likes their front to improve their back, but I don’t see their front opening lanes for the pass rushers this year. If that isn’t happening the corners will be running, and Reid will be looking bad. You look at Eric Mangini, and remember a defensive background, but he was a tight ends coach last year. You just don’t see what you once saw in San Francisco and the defense, more than the offense to me has taken the big hit in 2015.

Where do they? rank O/7

Las Vegas sees a regression, but I struggle to see how it is only one game. You look at their schedule and you really have to make hard statements for this team to win games. I think there is a significant downgrade at almost every coaching position, and a good portion of player positions. Like I mentioned by seeing their drafting I don’t think this team is playing for 2015. I think six is the most games they even will want to win. With that said I am looking at this under. It scares me that so many people love the under, yet here it sits at 7, but I do not see how they do it. I think they finish in last in the division and do not win seven games.

Parkers Pick: 4th in the NFC West, Under 7 wins

Logans Pick: 4th in the NFC West, Under 7 wins