What will end up being our biggest need at the end of this season??

What area will we seek to improve the most next offseason

I think WR is going to be where we need to improve.

So, you are asking strongest need going into next yr...

I think Gabbert plays well for a new contract... so I would guess that OLB will be the top priority. WR will likely be up there also.. though that one is more a mystery.

Wide Receiver. We always suck at wide receiver.

The drafting and free agent purchasing skills.

Very hard to predict right now. We have holes everywhere, and even more question marks. Will we have a serviceable QB with either Kaepernick regaining his 12-13 form, or Gabbert defying the odds and becoming post-2011 Alex Smith? Will any of the youngsters move from "potential" and "high ceiling" to actually "producing"? What will our injuries look like? How high is our draft pick? If we go through a nightmare like 2004 or 2005 with no decent QB play and a slew of injuries, then we could be picking top 3, in which case QB is the obvious choice. If we hover around 500 (or better, post a winning season), then it will mean that a lot of these questions will have been answered and we can go for depth.

My guess right now is that we will need reinforcements at linebacker, rush and/or middle, as we don't have a big pipeline of promising but unproven youngsters like we do for OL/DL/secondary. There's Bowman, who hopefully will be a stud again and for years to come; perhaps Lynch, if he manages to remove his head from his butt; and, even more perhaps, Harold (totally unproven). The others are all a bunch of journeymen, unproven, or just plain sucking.

Receiver is a sexy position, but we have a ton of young players already there. Without an obvious outlet like Boldin in the team, and with TE a massive questionmark as well, now is the opportunity of the youngsters to show if they're any good.

I think the pass rush not the pass D will be the issue. Brooks is not a very good pass rushing OLB anymore, Lynch is out 4 games, and we simply have no idea what Eli/Tank will do this year.

OLB, WR, and QB need to be the focal point of the next off season IMO.

More football

Originally posted by NYniner85:
I think the pass rush not the pass D will be the issue. Brooks is not a very good pass rushing OLB anymore, Lynch is out 4 games, and we simply have no idea what Eli/Tank will do this year.

OLB, WR, and QB need to be the focal point of the next off season IMO.

I agree, OLB, WR and QB will be of main concern next year.

Specifically a pass rushing OLB, then WR.

Originally posted by okdkid:
Specifically a pass rushing OLB, then WR.

you think our QB situation will work itself out

Very possibly qb. But I'm gonna pray gabbart steps up and say it will be WR or OL.

A new group of negative spin artists. Ours suck.

Originally posted by paulk205:
Very hard to predict right now. We have holes everywhere, and even more question marks. Will we have a serviceable QB with either Kaepernick regaining his 12-13 form, or Gabbert defying the odds and becoming post-2011 Alex Smith? Will any of the youngsters move from "potential" and "high ceiling" to actually "producing"? What will our injuries look like? How high is our draft pick? If we go through a nightmare like 2004 or 2005 with no decent QB play and a slew of injuries, then we could be picking top 3, in which case QB is the obvious choice. If we hover around 500 (or better, post a winning season), then it will mean that a lot of these questions will have been answered and we can go for depth.

My guess right now is that we will need reinforcements at linebacker, rush and/or middle, as we don't have a big pipeline of promising but unproven youngsters like we do for OL/DL/secondary. There's Bowman, who hopefully will be a stud again and for years to come; perhaps Lynch, if he manages to remove his head from his butt; and, even more perhaps, Harold (totally unproven). The others are all a bunch of journeymen, unproven, or just plain sucking.

Receiver is a sexy position, but we have a ton of young players already there. Without an obvious outlet like Boldin in the team, and with TE a massive questionmark as well, now is the opportunity of the youngsters to show if they're any good.

Agreed...hard to project. Many positions are very much unknown both at the starting positions and depth. We need a legit challenging C, outside WR, ILB depth, perhaps OLB pass rusher if none of them pan out, potential QB, potential RT, PK, Returner, NT, etc.

I feel pretty confident (right now) on an efficient QB and depth there, Hyde and the RB's, TE and depth (blocking trio mostly; some pass catching), X or Z & Y WR (Smith & Ellington/Burbridge) and potential depth and competition, the OG's and depth, perhaps both T spots and depth (TBD on Anthony Davis/Trenton Brown/Joe Staley), love the DL and rotation (even w/o Williams to start and Dorsey later), not sure about the pass rush yet (Lynch later but Harold/Carradine/Blair?), feel good about the ILB (Bowman + Hodges but really, Tartt 60% of the time for one of them and Ray-Ray for depth for Tartt), have concerns about the slot CB spot and concerns about who our best press cover CB's will be and feel really good about ST's outside of a bonefide returner (would like Lunsford to genuinely challenge Dawson).

Originally posted by mojave45:

A new group of negative spin artists. Ours suck.

Oh you dont need to worry about that. We have DEPTH there