General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are always trying to improve the team. They thought they had a pretty competitive roster heading into the 2018 season. In retrospect, the high expectations may have been unrealistic, but Shanahan couldn't have imagined the year starting like this.
The 49ers lost their featured running back and starting quarterback to torn ACLs and have been dealing with several other injuries since.
San Francisco tried to make a splash by acquiring pass rusher Khalil Mack. They at least discussed wide receiver Josh Gordon. Lynch and company reportedly made an "exploratory call" to the Pittsburgh Steelers regarding running back Le'Veon Bell.
Shanahan said on Monday that the team remains open to possibilities as this year's trade deadline quickly approaches but won't mortgage the future in the process.
"We'll always listen," Shanahan said. "We're always looking to try to improve our team. We're always calling and seeing if there's anything out there that we haven't heard, also. Like I said, our philosophy with that is we're always trying to improve right now, but we're also not going to do that to risk anything for the future."
The 49ers remain cautiously aggressive, which has frustrated some fans because it often means watching the team miss out on talent. Meanwhile, the quick-fix Los Angeles Rams have cruised to a 7-0 start and don't look to relinquish control of the NFC West anytime soon.
The 49ers' 39-10 loss to the Rams on Sunday was a painful eyeopener of just how wide the gap is between the two teams.
Shanahan, who still seeks his second win of the season, would love to find an instant roster boost.
"Everyone would love a quick fix right now," he said. "I know I would, I know our players would, I know John and the personnel staff would. But, it's not just about a quick fix. We're dedicated to try to win this Sunday, but we're also not going to just do something that makes us feel better today that hurts us for the future. So, we take everything into account, from our perspective, about what we do on a day-to-day basis is about trying to find a way to beat Arizona.
"But, when it comes to trades and things like that, there's more business involved in that that doesn't just affect this week. Things that affect the salary cap and things like that into next year and how we're trying to build this and we're trying to stay committed to that."
Shanahan and Lynch refuse to let the actions of other NFL teams disrupt their long-term rebuilding plan. A 1-6 start to the season won't force them to do something rash even if it might give the fanbase some temporary hope.
"Our record right now doesn't impact the big picture to me," Shanahan said. "It's tough to deal with. It's frustrating. We're all working extremely hard and want much better results. But, just because the record doesn't show that isn't going to make you doubt yourself and go rip up your plans and do something totally new.
"We knew when we came here it was going to take some time, and we want that to be as fast as possible, there's no doubt about that. But, you also don't want to make stupid decisions because of that.
"We're trying to be smart in everything we do. We're not trying to just do this a quick, easy fix way. We're trying to build this thing to last, and to do that, it does take some time."
Both Shanahan and Lynch are in the second of their six-year contracts. They know ownership, after firing three head coaches in as many years before their arrival, will be more patient than most, even if that means dealing with a frustrated fan base and an embarrassingly empty home stadium on game days.
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