Parity in any sports league is a good thing, it means
that there is competition, throughout the league and not really one dominate
team. The San Francisco 49ers don’t have to concern themselves the leagues Parity
because they are one of the least competitive teams in the league. Trust me
this will be a very short blog!
The 49ers are in rebuild mode. No this isn’t a retool
situation, this is a blow it up, burn it down, destroy the entire thing
situation. The 49ers won two games last season and was a non-factor in most of
those games. They brought a fist year general manager in John Lynch. Lynch then
brought in first year head coach Kyle Shannahan. Together they have a pile of
horse sh** on their hands. Where do you start with this team?
The 49ers finished 32nd in yards allowed and
points allowed per game last season. Fixing this defense was the biggest priority
for the 2017 offseason. Their first three picks were on the defensive side of
the ball. The 49ers have been trying to fix this defense for a few years now.
They’ve taken a defensive player with their first round pick in last five drafts.
DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead appear to be the same type of player and don’t
really complement each other. Buckner is the better of the two linemen and with
added support may prove to be a solid player. Jimmie Ward, their 2013 first
round pick hasn’t really lived up to the “flexible player” hype that was
bestowed upon him. Eric Reid showed flashes with a pro bowl season as a rookie
year, but hasn’t done much since. These are first round draft picks that they
49ers are getting little to no contributions from. Playing in a division like
the NFC West where defense reigns supreme, they can’t afford to continue to
have a terrible defenses. They did things slightly different in 2017, they
drafted two defensive players in the first round! (I hope you caught the sarcasm).
The 49ers will add first round picks Soloman Thomas and
Reuben Foster to this defensive unit in hopes of it improving. Thomas and
Foster can really help this defense because they bring pure physical talent to
key positions on this defense. Thomas will more than likely start at outside linebacker
in the 49ers 3-4 base scheme. He was regarded as one of the better pass rushers
in this draft and the 49ers need the help. Foster is expected to play inside
next to Navarro Bowmen and will eventually be Bowmen’s replacement. He is
coming from a very good Alabama defense, one in which he stood out on, that
played in the national championship game. Bowmen and Foster form a good insider
linebacker tandem. Soloman Thomas and Ahmed Brooks can be two good edge rushers
for this team. On paper these two rookies fill two positions of need but they’re
both young and they will make rookie mistakes.
The other defensive player drafted in the first three
rounds for the 49ers was corner back Ahkello Witherspoon. Witherspoon comes for
Colorado University and had a good career. Even as a third round pick
Witherspoon will have an opportunity to start this year. He can’t be any worse
than the JAGs the 49ers had last season. Thomas and Foster should make this
front seven better, and at the very least, Witherspoon can provide them depth
in the secondary.
Kyle Shannahan is one of the most talented offensive minds
in football. Its feel funny saying that after his offense was unable to score a
single point to seal the win in the super bowl. That’s water under the bridge, I
guess. Shannahan will have his work cut out for him. The 49ers have no quarterback;
Carlos Hyde is solid running back but probably shouldn’t be the lead back. They
brought in Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin via agency. Garcon will give them
a solid #1 wide receiver and Goodwin gives them a deep threat. The quarterbacks
last season were sacked a combined 47 times. Part of that was the fault of the
quarterback, but most of it was due to a bad offensive line. Don’t let me
forget to place blame at the feet of a terrible coach Chip Kelly!
Believe me I’m searching for anything to be excited about
with this team. I have a buddy that is a huge 49ers fan. Their best player on
Madden 18 is the fullback! The 49ers aren’t making any noise in 2017. The
division they play in is owned by the Seahawks. The Cardinals and Rams are also
better than the 49ers. This is
Shannahans and Lynch’s first season and they seem to be headed in the right
direction. They first have to get a quarterback. Once they get a quarterback then
they can start to put the pieces around him. The defense may start to benefit
from all the first round talent it has, but I doubt it. Look for them to finish
in last place again, and be amongst the worst team in the NFL.
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