The 49ers appeared to regress as the team went from six wins in 2017 to four in 2018. Few rosters, however, were hit as hard with injuries this past season. Shanahan was left without both his featured running back, Jerick McKinnon, and franchise quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, just three weeks into the regular season. Both figured to be significant parts of the offense with much of the season riding on each.
The 49ers will need to use this offseason to improve at key positions, add depth, and replace past blunders (i.e., Reuben Foster). Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman has faith in Shanahan and Lynch to improve the roster and create a more competitive team in 2019. The 49ers figure to have over $60 million in salary cap space to do so.
Just how aggressive should San Francisco be in using that money?
"I'd like them to be smart and get us better," Sherman told reporters last week. "Obviously, I don't make any decisions or call any shots, but I'm sure that Kyle and John and going to do their due diligence on everybody and put us in a better position than we have been this year."
The 49ers hope Garoppolo becomes a key component in the team's future success. Other pieces include players like tight end George Kittle, who set a new league record for the most single-season receiving yards by a tight end in just his second NFL season, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who is becoming one of the more dominant interior defenders in the league.
Kittle and Buckner have proven to have the right mindset on the field and in meeting rooms. They are always working to improve themselves and never appear to take opportunities for granted.
"I think that's essential to winning programs and winning championships," Sherman said. "To be a winning organization, those have to be foundational pieces to what you do. Those guys set the standard, set the precedent to what other guys follow, and I think the organization is going to work to get more guys like that and follow their lead."
Free agency kicks off at the start of the new league year on March 13 with the draft starting on April 25.
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