The San Francisco 49ers are one of the more storied franchises in the NFL as they've won an impressive five Super Bowls and have produced many Hall-of-Fame players in their time. Unfortunately, the past is the only positive thing current fans of this Bay Area team can hold onto. San Francisco is in a complete rebuild mode due to incompetence from the front office. The team is looking at a massive overhaul as they've already fired head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke. Here are some of the biggest things I'd like to see during the rebuilding process:
1. Jed York surrenders power and stays out of football decisions.
This will never happen no matter how much I wish for it. York's overbearing and pompous personality set this team back so far that we should realistically expect the 49ers to be rebuilding for another half-decade. It's hard to determine which GM candidates will be good at running football operations; we simply don't know what moves they were or were not responsible for behind the scenes in their previous positions. But whoever takes over as GM of the 49ers will need to...
2. Trade down in the draft
No matter who the 49ers draft at the second spot this year, they will still be a losing team for multiple years. The general consensus is that the 49ers will either draft a quarterback (DeShone Kizer and Mike Trubisky are the top of most boards) or DE Jonathan Allen. However, I don't believe San Francisco will get Jonathan Allen because they've already spent their previous first round picks on the defensive line with their selections of DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. Spending a third first round pick there may be too big of an investment when there are so many other needs. Additionally, quarterback prospects get grossly overvalued in the last few weeks leading up to the draft, meaning that there will be plenty of opportunity to find other teams that want to land the 2nd pick to get who they want. Possible suitors include the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers (depending on how happy Phillip Rivers is), Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans.
This will allow them to stockpile picks in the first few rounds for multiple years, and still gives them a chance to land a QB if they really want one.
3. More on the upcoming draft... Use a Day 2 draft pick on a WR
Trent Baalke refused to properly improve the weakest position for most of hislast year tenure as decision maker. The former GM was lucky that his half-hearted attempt at addressing such a need included getting the team's leading receiver in a throwaway trade late August, but that's not something to write home about. Jeremy Kerley is nothing more than a possession receiver, won't make any defensive coordinators sweat, and is also a free agent this year. If another team liked what they saw, they can easily nab him on the open market.
Regardless of if Kerley stays or not, the team is in desperate need of upgrading their wide receiving corps. Players like Chris Goodwin (Penn State), JuJu Smith-Schuster (USC), and Curtis Samuel (Ohio State) should all be available when it's the Niners' turn to pick.
4. Find a Head Coach you can commit to for at least four years.
A team with a high turnover rate in the coaching department always points to a dysfunctional franchise which doesn't give the players a chance to grow. Coaches always want to win with their own players too, so they often reload the roster. San Francisco really shot themselves in the foot when they elected to choose Jim Tomsula, a defensive line mentor without any connections or ties to significant peers, as their head coach instead of someone reputable like Vic Fangio or Adam Gase.
This is a big reason as to why the next coach would be the fourth one in just as many years. If the 49ers want to find a way out of the bottom of the barrel, they'll have to take their time and find someone they feel really comfortable with, rather than settle for an intermediate coach until a better one becomes available.
Two candidates that really stand out to me are Kyle Shanahan (Atlanta's Offensive Coordinator) and Sean McVay (Washington's Offensive Coordinator). I really like Kyle Shanahan. Although he seems young when compared to his peers, football is in his blood as he's learned much from his Hall-of-Fame candidate father, Mike Shanahan. His track record also shows that he's improved every offense that he's managed, including the Texans, Browns, and Falcons. A lot of this has to do with what he's been able to do with the running game. If he does successfully land here, 49er fans will fall in love with his zone-blocking and power running schemes as they look eerily similar to the ones Jim Harbaugh used to deploy in his tenure in the NFL. Sean McVay also intrigues me a lot since the Redskins have shown to be competent on the offensive side of the ball, despite major changes in two pivotal positions: quarterback and running back. Instead of using Robert Griffin III, someone who was thought to be the cornerstone of the franchise, the Redskins turned to 4th round pick Kirk Cousins. In return, McVay and Cousins teamed up to lead an offense that was top five in completion percentage, passing yards, and passer rating. Additionally, the Redskins changed from Alfred Morris to Matt Jones to Robert Kelley at running back, yet still managed to average a very respectable 4.5 yards per carry. A downside here is that McVay is at the ripe age of thirty, and will have a hard time digging into his personal connections to fill out a coaching staff. San Francisco's front office will have to help him out in this department.
I also hope they stay away from Tom Cable (Seattle's Assistant Coach), Sean McDermott (Panthers' Defensive Coordinator) and Josh McDaniels (Patriots' Offensive Coordinator).
Tom Cable
Cable actually has a long history of coaching in the NFL and is already very familiar with the division. Cable has had his fair share of issues though, including many losing seasons in Oakland, and troubles with the law. Although Seattle's successful program adds to his allure, his focus is on the offensive line, which has shown its struggles more often than not in the past couple of years.
Sean McDermott
During their Super Bowl run, McDermott was praised for being a genius on the defensive side of the ball and a shoe-in to get a head coaching job, but a lot of his success seems to be riding off of Luke Kuechly's coattails. Sure NaVorro Bowman is on the same echelon in terms of talent, but Bowman's been through some serious injuries the last few years, and a head coach should be able to succeed even with a loss of a significant player. Additionally, most defensive coordinators don't fair well when slated in a head coaching position-especially now since the league has gotten more and more pass-happy.
Josh McDaniels
Probably the biggest name of the crowd belongs to Josh McDaniels, but I'm very far from being a believer of his. People love to point to the fact that he's spent a long time under Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest coach of all-time, but I don't think that means anything. Belichick's coaching tree also includes names like Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, and Eric Mangini. None of them were any good, and Mangini may actually be the worst coach I've ever come across in my life. Just as valuable though, is the fact that people look at his body of work and say that he's a complete success because of how great the Patriot offense is. You know, the Patriot offense that has a guy named Tom Brady under center. When you have a Hall-of-Fame quarterback at your disposal, I don't think it's very hard to stand tall in the offensive rankings. Plus, McDaniels had a rough go-around in his first stint as a head coach for the Denver Broncos.
5. Key Roster changes: Trade Joe Staley and Torrey Smith
I understand Joe Staley is a fan favorite, but after ten years of brutal NFL experience, it's safe to say he won't be as effective when this team is ready to compete again. An aging player is not what a team in full rebuild mode needs. Not too long ago, there were rumors that said that San Francisco could get a first round pick in return if they were to ship him. If that's still the case, the 49ers have to pick up the phone and trade him now. Additionally, Torrey Smith has been underutilized and hasn't contributed much to the team because of that. Maybe a team that needs a vertical downfield threat can take advantage of his speed, but it's painfully obvious that he shouldn't be in scarlet and gold anymore. Smith has a fairly large contract, which may make it a little hard to unload him. If they can't find a potential suitor the 49ers shoulder consider looking at their losses and maybe just cut him.
6. Kaepernick has to go
Although people have a hard time admitting it, Colin Kaepernick actually played pretty well this year-especially if you consider the fact that he's been surrounded with a ton of garbage and change around him. Because of this, and the number of teams that need a quarterback (mentioned earlier), Kaepernick may actually command some trade value. His off-field political stance has detracted some teams, but it still wouldn't be crazy to see him net a pick or two in return. Regardless if someone is looking to trade for him or not, the Niners need to find a way to get him off of their roster-even if that means that they must cut him. Both him and the franchise need to get a fresh start from each other and it'll give the 49ers even more ammunition to play with in regards to the salary kap (pun intended).
7. Do Something with the Salary Cap
The 49ers had close to $43 million in cap space and were 2nd in the NFL in that mark. Because the team has such a bad reputation now, the front office may have to overpay to attract some free agents, but the team has the space to do it! I would like to see money spent in trying to get some impact players to give this team something to build around rather than it just sitting in Jed York's pockets.
1. Jed York surrenders power and stays out of football decisions.
This will never happen no matter how much I wish for it. York's overbearing and pompous personality set this team back so far that we should realistically expect the 49ers to be rebuilding for another half-decade. It's hard to determine which GM candidates will be good at running football operations; we simply don't know what moves they were or were not responsible for behind the scenes in their previous positions. But whoever takes over as GM of the 49ers will need to...
2. Trade down in the draft
No matter who the 49ers draft at the second spot this year, they will still be a losing team for multiple years. The general consensus is that the 49ers will either draft a quarterback (DeShone Kizer and Mike Trubisky are the top of most boards) or DE Jonathan Allen. However, I don't believe San Francisco will get Jonathan Allen because they've already spent their previous first round picks on the defensive line with their selections of DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. Spending a third first round pick there may be too big of an investment when there are so many other needs. Additionally, quarterback prospects get grossly overvalued in the last few weeks leading up to the draft, meaning that there will be plenty of opportunity to find other teams that want to land the 2nd pick to get who they want. Possible suitors include the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers (depending on how happy Phillip Rivers is), Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans.
This will allow them to stockpile picks in the first few rounds for multiple years, and still gives them a chance to land a QB if they really want one.
3. More on the upcoming draft... Use a Day 2 draft pick on a WR
Trent Baalke refused to properly improve the weakest position for most of his
Regardless of if Kerley stays or not, the team is in desperate need of upgrading their wide receiving corps. Players like Chris Goodwin (Penn State), JuJu Smith-Schuster (USC), and Curtis Samuel (Ohio State) should all be available when it's the Niners' turn to pick.
4. Find a Head Coach you can commit to for at least four years.
A team with a high turnover rate in the coaching department always points to a dysfunctional franchise which doesn't give the players a chance to grow. Coaches always want to win with their own players too, so they often reload the roster. San Francisco really shot themselves in the foot when they elected to choose Jim Tomsula, a defensive line mentor without any connections or ties to significant peers, as their head coach instead of someone reputable like Vic Fangio or Adam Gase.
This is a big reason as to why the next coach would be the fourth one in just as many years. If the 49ers want to find a way out of the bottom of the barrel, they'll have to take their time and find someone they feel really comfortable with, rather than settle for an intermediate coach until a better one becomes available.
Two candidates that really stand out to me are Kyle Shanahan (Atlanta's Offensive Coordinator) and Sean McVay (Washington's Offensive Coordinator). I really like Kyle Shanahan. Although he seems young when compared to his peers, football is in his blood as he's learned much from his Hall-of-Fame candidate father, Mike Shanahan. His track record also shows that he's improved every offense that he's managed, including the Texans, Browns, and Falcons. A lot of this has to do with what he's been able to do with the running game. If he does successfully land here, 49er fans will fall in love with his zone-blocking and power running schemes as they look eerily similar to the ones Jim Harbaugh used to deploy in his tenure in the NFL. Sean McVay also intrigues me a lot since the Redskins have shown to be competent on the offensive side of the ball, despite major changes in two pivotal positions: quarterback and running back. Instead of using Robert Griffin III, someone who was thought to be the cornerstone of the franchise, the Redskins turned to 4th round pick Kirk Cousins. In return, McVay and Cousins teamed up to lead an offense that was top five in completion percentage, passing yards, and passer rating. Additionally, the Redskins changed from Alfred Morris to Matt Jones to Robert Kelley at running back, yet still managed to average a very respectable 4.5 yards per carry. A downside here is that McVay is at the ripe age of thirty, and will have a hard time digging into his personal connections to fill out a coaching staff. San Francisco's front office will have to help him out in this department.
I also hope they stay away from Tom Cable (Seattle's Assistant Coach), Sean McDermott (Panthers' Defensive Coordinator) and Josh McDaniels (Patriots' Offensive Coordinator).
Tom Cable
Cable actually has a long history of coaching in the NFL and is already very familiar with the division. Cable has had his fair share of issues though, including many losing seasons in Oakland, and troubles with the law. Although Seattle's successful program adds to his allure, his focus is on the offensive line, which has shown its struggles more often than not in the past couple of years.
Sean McDermott
During their Super Bowl run, McDermott was praised for being a genius on the defensive side of the ball and a shoe-in to get a head coaching job, but a lot of his success seems to be riding off of Luke Kuechly's coattails. Sure NaVorro Bowman is on the same echelon in terms of talent, but Bowman's been through some serious injuries the last few years, and a head coach should be able to succeed even with a loss of a significant player. Additionally, most defensive coordinators don't fair well when slated in a head coaching position-especially now since the league has gotten more and more pass-happy.
Josh McDaniels
Probably the biggest name of the crowd belongs to Josh McDaniels, but I'm very far from being a believer of his. People love to point to the fact that he's spent a long time under Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest coach of all-time, but I don't think that means anything. Belichick's coaching tree also includes names like Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, and Eric Mangini. None of them were any good, and Mangini may actually be the worst coach I've ever come across in my life. Just as valuable though, is the fact that people look at his body of work and say that he's a complete success because of how great the Patriot offense is. You know, the Patriot offense that has a guy named Tom Brady under center. When you have a Hall-of-Fame quarterback at your disposal, I don't think it's very hard to stand tall in the offensive rankings. Plus, McDaniels had a rough go-around in his first stint as a head coach for the Denver Broncos.
5. Key Roster changes: Trade Joe Staley and Torrey Smith
I understand Joe Staley is a fan favorite, but after ten years of brutal NFL experience, it's safe to say he won't be as effective when this team is ready to compete again. An aging player is not what a team in full rebuild mode needs. Not too long ago, there were rumors that said that San Francisco could get a first round pick in return if they were to ship him. If that's still the case, the 49ers have to pick up the phone and trade him now. Additionally, Torrey Smith has been underutilized and hasn't contributed much to the team because of that. Maybe a team that needs a vertical downfield threat can take advantage of his speed, but it's painfully obvious that he shouldn't be in scarlet and gold anymore. Smith has a fairly large contract, which may make it a little hard to unload him. If they can't find a potential suitor the 49ers shoulder consider looking at their losses and maybe just cut him.
6. Kaepernick has to go
Although people have a hard time admitting it, Colin Kaepernick actually played pretty well this year-especially if you consider the fact that he's been surrounded with a ton of garbage and change around him. Because of this, and the number of teams that need a quarterback (mentioned earlier), Kaepernick may actually command some trade value. His off-field political stance has detracted some teams, but it still wouldn't be crazy to see him net a pick or two in return. Regardless if someone is looking to trade for him or not, the Niners need to find a way to get him off of their roster-even if that means that they must cut him. Both him and the franchise need to get a fresh start from each other and it'll give the 49ers even more ammunition to play with in regards to the salary kap (pun intended).
 |
| Kaepernick gave this franchise a lot, but it's now time to part ways. |
7. Do Something with the Salary Cap
The 49ers had close to $43 million in cap space and were 2nd in the NFL in that mark. Because the team has such a bad reputation now, the front office may have to overpay to attract some free agents, but the team has the space to do it! I would like to see money spent in trying to get some impact players to give this team something to build around rather than it just sitting in Jed York's pockets.
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