San Francisco 49ers Season Review/Off Season Preview

49ers season in review Schedule Opening the season with a blowout and true beatdown of the playoff Vikings had a lot of people thinking they had this team mapped out all wrong. Those same 49ers then lost their next four games by a total of 137-56. This eventually led to the benching of Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and the 49ers went 2-6 under Kaepernick and 3-5 with Blaine Gabbert at starter. The difference here is that Gabbert beat an uninspired Rams team at home in week 17, whereas Kaepernick went 20-41 in an ugly loss in St. Louis. Aside from that both quarterbacks were swept, and neither outplayed the other in losses to Seattle and Arizona. In Kaepernick losses however, the competition (division aside) had a record of 26-22. Gabbert lost to a group of teams with a record of 22-26 and that includes a 12-4 Bengal team just a week after losing their quarterback Andy Dalton, a three interception Gabbert game. Essentially it doesn't matter who the quarterback was this team was going to win no more than five games this year, they just happened to face their toughest stretch of the year in their first eight games which may affect their future with Kaepernick forever. Coaching It will be tough to get into this section without being too harsh. To start, Jim Tomsula is a great guy. If anything should be remembered from his year as a head coach it should be his speech following the cutting of Aldon Smith. That said he will only be a head coach for one year and I truly believe this was his last chance. He is a fine defensive coach, more specifically to the defensive line. As far as leading a team it just isn't suited for him. The unpreparedness, the ugly game plans, the in game mismanagement, it made the players look like they weren't the big problem. This all without mention of reports almost every week the locker room was divided, on thin ice, you name the metaphor. Tomsula was let go, and with him both his coordinators will need to find better jobs. At times Eric Mangini seemed to inspire life out of his defense, but the unit was one of the worst in the league week in and week out. Geep Chryst showed he struggled to use his quarterback's strengths to their advantage and kind of just seemed to be guessing when formulating a game script. In comes Chip Kelly and his whole new staff. Kelly on a rebuilding team will truly be an experiment to witness, and now we will truly see what type of quarterback he tends to like. Quarterback play As of this second Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick are in open competition for their new coach. Blaine Gabbert got the hype going mainly because the fan base was so sick of Kaepernick. Gabbert won at home in his first start, then didn't completely crap the bed in losses to the Seahawks and Cardinals giving some people hope for this team. His start against the Bears featured his game winning toss, but showed for the first time his fear of blitzes. For the next three weeks he spent time falling from backing up, rushing passes and genuinely looking nervous in the pocket. To be fair, Kaepernick looked like he was pressing in the pocket most of his first eight games too. For Kaepernick it is hard not to have some sympathy. It is clear the coach who drafted him, Jim Harbaugh had a tremendous amount of confidence in the young quarterback. He seemed to week by week lose that confidence, and you have to wonder if it was a result of not only the skill around him, but with what coaches are telling him on a day in, day out basis. The questions may have began with coaches, and it spread like wild fire to the players. As more people questioned “Kaep” he began butchering the easiest of passes. Honestly he looked like he needed eight games off by week eight, and while he is cuttable, when looking to the future Kaepernick has to still be seen as a better option than Gabbert. Running back play Something strange happened in that week one win to the Vikings. Whether it was the late West Coast start, or just an shaking off some rust, the Vikings run defense got absolutely torched by Carlos Hyde. Hyde ran for 168 yards on 26 attempts and looked like a beast doing it. In his two following games Hyde combined to run for 94 yards on 28 carries. In his next six games Hyde averaged 50 yards per game on an average of 15 carries. He finished the year with a 4.1 yards per carry average, but in those six games he ran for 3.3 per touch. Early on reports that he was dealing with a foot injury came out, and it left him inactive for the last nine games, but heading into year three, the Niners are going to need more production from him. Their last nine weeks featured names like Shaun Draughn and Dujuan Harris. Both have been around the league and neither will find a home here. Fortunately, the Niners drafted Mike Davis who never really got going before going down for the year. The hope would be that between Davis and Hyde the Niners have a starting back but there is still a need for a change of pace guy like what they wanted Reggie Bush to be. Wide Receiver and Tight End Play Anquan Boldin had another Anquan Boldin season when you look at the mess he was handed. One note would be that his yards per catch at 11.3 in 2015 was his lowest since 2004, and while quarterback was a major problem, you would hope he can get back to the 12.8 and 13.3 numbers he put up in his past two years in San Francisco. One thought is that Boldin is extremely cuttable and on an extremely team friendly contract. He has a lot of leverage and with a team in a clear rebuild the 34 year old may be able to select a team to make another run at a Super Bowl. Torrey Smith on the other side is looking around wondering why he left Baltimore. He posted career lows in catches, yards, touchdowns and even starts in 2015. He has never been much more than a deep threat, and it would make sense that without a stable quarterback he would average about two catches per game this year. Smith’s salary is going to keep the Niners from spending to upgrade at wide receiver, but as mentioned the idea of moving on from Boldin opens plenty of time for Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton, and rookie Deandre Smelter to see what they really have in these guys. One good thing is that 49ers may have found something at tight end. Blake Bell is still a bit of a project, but he has shown catching and blocking ability in year one, and it would be presumed he is a starter next year. Vance McDonald and fellow rookie Rory Anderson will be on the roster leaving free agent Garret Celek expendable. Offensive line The offensive line is probably the biggest issue on the team. Fortunately they have Joe Staley and he is a huge starting block as a left tackle. Unfortunately, it should be open competition across the board. Eric Pears will take the other tackle position, but isn't signed passed this year and isn't really anything special. On the interior Alex Boone will leave via free agency leaving an empty inside. Daniel Kilgore and Marcus Martin have inside shots to start at center and guard respectively, but you can only hope this team addresses the interior in not only the draft but also free agency to spice things up and increase competition for a group that didn't deserve complacency. Defensive line The biggest take away from the defensive front is that in rotational play first round pick Arik Armstead out played the veterans on the defensive line. Guys like Glenn Dorsey, Quinton Dial, and Tony Jerod-Eddie are just guys and none of them are tied down past 2016, including Jerod-Eddie free to leave this season. He shouldn't demand outside attraction, and can be brought back cheap, but it isn't a headliner. The plan should be to develop Armstead and get him on the field full time in 2016. They will also need to do whatever they can to sign Ian Williams. Williams is a plug of a nose tackle and is a free agent this season. Losing him would be a bit devastating to an already lackluster defensive line. Linebacker play On the outside may have been the team's unexpected bright spot, Aaron Lynch. Lynch in year two created 6.5 sacks and created even more pressure. Going on and entering his third year there is a lot to like, and there is a possibility the Niners will want to extend him this offseason. Ahmad Brooks didn't have a bad year in San Francisco in 2015, but honestly it would be smart for them to move on from him. Aside from saving around six million dollars it leaves opportunities for younger guys to develop instead of dealing with a 31 year old with off field issues. It mainly gives 21 year old Eli Harold reps. Harold was the youngest player in the draft, and really didn't see the field until late in the season. He came around late and showed some raw skill and promise. The only way to see what they have in a potential duo of pass rushers is to throw them out there. As far as depth, Corey Lemonier is around for one more year, and they should be able to find another veteran for a much cheaper price than Brooks. On the inside, Navarro Bowman is still a stud a year removed from major surgery, but beside him they have major questions a year removed from Patrick Wilis and Chris Borland retiring unexpectedly. Michael Wilhote held down the fort most of the year, but is a free agent, and would be in a better situation as a depth player. However, he is probably the most stable backer besides Bowman. Between Gerald Hodges and Shane Skov the Niners can get snaps, but it wouldn't be the worst idea to draft a middle linebacker at some point. Secondary play The secondary really was a problem this year, but the Niners can at least say they've found somethings. To start, in theory a duo of Jaquiski Tartt and Eric Reid can start next to each other. Tartt as a rookie had a big learning curve as he was a sub division player in college. He is however an instinctive player and can lay the wood when needed. Keeping him in the box can let Reid roam free. While Reid also has had some bumps and mistakes, it is a feeling out process in the secondary, and the cornerbacks gave him no help making it worth going into next year with that duo. It leaves Antoine Bethea extremely expendable, and gives the Niners a chance to save another four million if they would like to move on from him in the youth movement. Aside from the offensive line the biggest need in San Francisco is the cornerback. Jimmie Ward is a slot specialist and a decent one at that, but outside of him there really isn't anyone that has to stick around for next year. Kenneth Acker, Dontae Johnson and Keith Reaser are on rookie deals, but these are guys that will need to make major strides to get any respect. Acker is currently a starter across Trumaine Brock who is signed for the next two years, but Acker is known as a guy to target when picking your wide receivers in daily fantasy at this point. Where do they go? With the recent news that Chip Kelly has been hired the countdown will be on until he announces his quarterback. Kaepernick’s contract becomes guaranteed April 1, and you would assume if he is on the roster he is the starter due to what he would be getting paid. They have the 7th overall pick and if quarterback is solved they can focus on their line or secondary which would be a huge relief. Arik Armstead, Joe Staley, Blake Bell, Aaron Lynch, Eli Harold, Jaquiski Tartt, Eric Reid, and Navarro Bowman are a core that is capable of building around. It has a lot more youth and potential than discovered talent, but it is here. Patience will have to be key and they will have to draft well, but it certainly will be fun to watch. Team needs CB Offensive line Qb