The 49ers Enter The 2016 Regular Season With More Questions Than Answers

Sep 11, 2016 at 10:31 AM


On the eve of the 49ers first regular season game of 2016, the team faces more questions than it has answers. We can only hope that this season will prove those answers.

This season will be different for the 49ers - that's what we're telling ourselves. It can't be worse than last year's debacle. The team went 5-11 last year but was clearly worse than their record showed. There were 2 missed field goals by (the now unemployed) Robbie Gould and Greg Zuerlein, as well as a very curious decision by Falcons coach Dan Quinn to kick a field goal when down by 4 from the 1 yard line late in the 4th quarter that contributed to those 5 wins.

This year, there are some big questions surrounding the team. How will the quarterback situation pan out? Which one of the wide receivers will step up? Has Chip Kelly changed his ways? That being said, the Niners still have much more talent than they did last year. Is it enough to get the 49ers to the playoffs for the first time since 2013? Probably not, but it could be an important year for building the franchise up to a contender again.

It's a make or break year for General Manager Trent Baalke. His draft failures and inactivity in free agency year after year have cost the 49ers dearly, and will probably cost him his job. I truly believe that in order for the team to grow, they're going to have to move on from Baalke. Tom Gamble is already waiting in the wings to take the reigns and is somebody who head coach Chip Kelly feels comfortable with. My prediction is that Baalke will be fired at some point this season, whether it's the middle of the season or after the 49ers season ends, it'll happen.

Along with Baalke, several players are facing make-or-break seasons. Tank Carradine is now in his 4th season and is 27 years old. Carradine just signed a 1-year extension after a solid preseason. The hope is that he can capitalize on that momentum and live up to his draft status. Thus far, the former second round pick has only 4 sacks in 23 career games. He's going to have to improve on that in order to stay on the team next year.

Backup center Marcus Martin is also in that group of players. He's struggled mightily, bouncing in and out of the lineup because of ineffective play. Zane Beadles had been practicing at center during Training Camp, so the writing may already be on the wall for Martin. Other players such as Quinton Patton, (the injured and out for the season) Bruce Ellington and Vance McDonald share the same sort of situation with regard to needing break out years...and we all know what's going on with the quarterback situation.

There are questions about Chip Kelly and his system. Has he learned from his mistakes in Philadelphia? Will the team respond to him as well as they are now if they have their backs against the wall? How will Kelly interact with the front office when the going gets tough? All indications are that he's not the same guy that he was in Philadelphia. The biggest thing I can say about his time there is that "Chip Kelly the GM" got "Chip Kelly the head coach" fired. He can now be free to put all of his energy towards the team on Sundays, which is a good thing. After all, he can't possibly be any worse than Jim Tomsula was last year.

Yesterday, we heard reports of guard Anthony Davis contemplating retirement. This just adds to a season that will be full of intrigue for 49ers fans.

It's clearly a rebuilding year for the 49ers, but that doesn't mean that they can't make progress. If the team can show progress on the offensive line, figure out the quarterback situation and find some solid starters out of recent rookie classes, then all will not be lost this year. The end goal is always to win championships, but right now the 49ers need to keep moving in the right direction. It will be a process to get this team back to its winning ways, but they can get a jump start on that this year with a successful campaign.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


1 Comment

  • beldar
    Best part about the NFL is how quickly things change. We've got a great new offensive line, running backs healthy, new talent on the d-line, good secondaries, bowman, quarterbacks who once upon a time were thought to be future pro-bowlers... a lot of things have to go our way but we could surprise people
    Sep 11, 2016 at 11:24 AM
    0

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



49ers reportedly sought No. 17 overall pick plus Jaguars player for Brandon Aiyuk

By David Bonilla
Mar 18

Mia O'Brien, a reporter for Jacksonville radio station 1010XL, was the first to link San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. A new report from O'Brien sheds light on the asking price for the star wide receiver, who is entering his fifth-year option. According to O'Brien, the 49ers sought the No. 17 overall pick, plus wide receiver Zay Jones, in exchange for Aiyuk. However, it seems this asking price was deemed too high for the Jaguars, who would have had to part ways with these assets and commit significant money to Aiyuk in the form of a contract



49ers officially announce several roster moves, including Leonard Floyd signing

By Site Staff
Mar 18

The San Francisco 49ers officially announced several roster moves today. Among them was the signing of defensive end Leonard Floyd to a two-year deal. Additionally, the team announced the signing of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, cornerback Chase Lucas, offensive lineman Brandon Parker, and cornerback Isaac Yiadom to one-year deals and the re-signing of offensive lineman Jon Feliciano to a one-year deal. The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown. Floyd (6-3, 240) was originally drafted as the ninth overall selection by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft. Throughout his eight-year career with the Bears



Leonard Floyd reveals why he signed with the 49ers

By David Bonilla
Mar 18

Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd has become the San Francisco 49ers' most significant free-agent acquisition thus far this offseason. While the 31-year-old pass rusher had multiple suitors, the Bay Area team emerged as the most aggressive in its pursuit. On Monday, Floyd spoke to reporters for the first time since the agreement with the 49ers was revealed. During the conversation, he elaborated on why the decision to head to Santa Clara was easy. "Yeah, I got a call from my agent—I had quite a few offers," Floyd said. "But what it was, the 49ers didn't bullsh--t around. They was out the gate, came in with a great deal. It was a solid, solid deal for me. And there really wasn't no second-guessing it. They showed that they wanted me from the



Updated list of 49ers draft picks in 2024 after NFL penalty

By David Bonilla
Mar 18

The NFL has penalized the San Francisco 49ers for payroll accounting errors that occurred at the end of the 2022 league year. This has led to the team forfeiting their fifth-round draft pick in 2025 and a reduction in their fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft. San Francisco's fourth-round selection, initially No. 131 overall, now shifts down four spots to the end of the round at No. 135, following the compensatory picks from that round. Despite this setback, the 49ers still possess 10 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft but will be short a pick next year. The team's selections in the upcoming draft are as follows: Round 1, Pick 31 Overall Round


Latest

More by Zain Naqvi

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone