Four years ago, the San Francisco 49ers began a stretch of playing in three straight NFC Championships, from 2011-2013. The past two seasons, the 49ers have been in a bit of turmoil.
San Francisco parted ways with head coach Jim Harbaugh after the 2014 season after he finished with an 8-8 record and third in the NFC West. The team then promoted defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to the head coaching position, but he was fired after just one season after finishing with a 5-11 record in 2015.
After making yet another coaching change, 49ers owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke decided to hire Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly as the team’s next head coach.
The biggest decision Baalke and Kelly will have to make this offseason is if they wanna move forward with either Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback. In his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Kelly was noncommittal to either player.
“I think specifically when it comes to quarterbacks, or any other position here, it’s an ongoing process and evaluation,” Kelly said. “I’ve had a chance to meet Kap, he stopped by the facility the other day. Part of the CBA rule is you’re not allowed to discuss football with anybody until April 4th, so it was just a hey, how are you, get to know you. I’ve talked to him a couple times on the phone. I also met Blaine [Gabbert]. I talked to Blaine on the phone. Blaine stopped by to say hello. I think the process itself, we have a lot of time.
If Baalke and Kelly decide that neither Kaepernick or Gabbert are in their future plans, the 49ers will have a number of draft picks in their arsenal. San Francisco will have 12 draft picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. The team could also potentially have over $46 million in cap space according to Spotrac.com
Should the 49ers decide to draft a quarterback, the names the team will likely look at are California Golden Bears junior Jared Goff, Memphis Tigers junior Paxton Lynch or North Dakota State Bison senior Carson Wentz.
Goff is the highest prospect on most mock draft right now, but at pick No.7, he may not be available when the 49ers select. The Cleveland Browns, who pick at No. 2, has been on record of saying the team is looking for a quarterback. The
Dallas Cowboys, who could be looking for an heir apparent to Tony Romo, could also be in the market for a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Kelly could just keep both Kaepernick and Gabbert and select a quarterback in the later rounds of the draft. Kaepernick fits Kelly’s spread offense system perfectly with his running ability and athletic skill set.
There have also been rumors that the team could prefer to keep Gabbert and move on Kaepernick. Either way, Kelly and Baalke will have to decide can either guy lead the 49ers moving forward.
“Everything’s under evaluation as coach mentioned and we’re going to take a hard look at this roster, Baalke said. “The number one thing is getting a staff in here. Once we get the staff complete, then we can sit down. The guy’s that are on staff already are already sitting down and going through the evaluation process. That will continue over the next couple of weeks and then we’ve got free agency, we’ve got the draft to get ready for. There’s a lot of things coming up in a hurry and we’ve got to get to work on them.”
Another major issue the 49ers will have to address this offseason is how can they improve their defense. After San Francisco ranked in the top five in total defense from 2011-2014, their defense slipped to 29th in 2015.
Reportedly, the 49ers have offered their defensive coordinator position to Houston Texans linebacker coach Mike Vrabel, according to ESPN. If the 49ers can find quality players to put around All-Pro NaVorro Bowman, the team could reload rather quickly.
San Francisco’s hire of Kelly is a high-risk, high reward for the team. If Kelly has learned from his downfalls while with the Eagles, he team could contend in a few seasons. If Kelly’s communication problems follow him to the Bay Area, it could be a rocky ride for 49er fans.
