The San Francisco 49ers will face a few difficult decisions this offseason. Decisions like what to do about impending free agents Arik Armstead, Emmanuel Sanders, Jimmie Ward, and others. The team got to the Super Bowl this past season, falling just short of bringing home a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Players like tight end George Kittle expect to be back next season but know it won't be easy.
"I think the work ethic and the mindset around the guys here, and the selflessness from them, I think that in itself will speak volumes," Kittle said this week. "And I think just our mindset going into this offseason, if guys treat it the right way, I think we'll have every opportunity in the world to go back."
Oh, and then there are Kittle's words on the sideline in the closing minutes after the 49ers watched their 10-point fourth-quarter lead disappear.
"I will be back here," Kittle was caught saying to himself. "I will be back here, and I will be back with a motherf---ing vengeance."
What will it take? Hall of Fame quarterback turned ESPN analyst, Steve Young, shared his thoughts on Thursday during his weekly KNBR interview. He believes the 49ers should plan for the future by improving depth rather than aggressively pursue big-impact additions.
"You've got to figure in the next year or two, we're going to lose a defensive lineman," Young said on "Tolbert, Krueger, and Brooks" show. "That's what made us unique. That pass rush made us unique this year. It made us super dangerous. It was really hard to handle.
"And the funny thing is, as teams will study the 49ers at length this offseason, just like they did (Rams coach) Sean McVay last year, the whole offseason is going to be watching, restudying the 49ers. What do they do? How do we get them stopped? How do we use what they used before so effectively? That's all going to go on."
Young goes on to say that the 49ers will have targets on their backs all next season, which will make a Super Bowl return increasingly difficult for the team.
The 49ers' depth helped this season. The team lost several key starters throughout 2019 and still managed to win games with backups filling in.
"They don't have a glaring need," Young continued. "Going and getting another corner, getting another tackle, making sure you're thick at receiver. They've got guys, you're right. They're going to grow and get better. They should grow and get better, but they're going to be asked a lot.
"Think about this playoff run here. They didn't see New Orleans. They didn't see Seattle. It was set up for success, and that's good. And other than Patrick Mahomes going crazy at the end of the game, you would have done it."
The problem is that the 49ers have a lack of draft capital. General manager John Lynch doesn't even have a Day 2 pick to work with after trading away the team's second-round selection for Dee Ford and then third- and fourth-rounders for Sanders.
Plus, the 49ers will spend a good chunk of salary cap money on extending Kittle's contract and want to make sure defensive tackle DeForest Buckner remains with the team. All of that falls under planning for the future.
You can listen to the entire interview with Young below.