5 San Francisco 49ers Players Who Should See Their Roles Expand in 2015
First, here are three young players for the San Francisco 49ers whose roles probably won't expand in 2015:
1. Cornellius “Tank” Carradine, Defensive Tackle, Third Year.
Carradine was supposed to be the heir apparent to Justin Smith. Carradine still might be, but he'll have to wait. He has played just 146 snaps so far in his career, according to Pro Football Focus. If the Niners thought he was ready to replace Smith, they wouldn't have signed Darnell Dockett.
Carradine probably will be a backup again next season.
2. Vance McDonald, Tight End, Third Year.
The 49ers handed McDonald the No. 2 tight end job when they took him in the second round of the 2013 draft. They needed someone to replace Delanie Walker, who signed with the Tennessee Titans that offseason. Since then, Walker has caught 123 passes for 1,461 yards, but McDonald has caught 10 passes for 149 yards.
McDonald is a bust.
The team should draft a tight end early in the upcoming draft.
3. Marcus Martin, Center/Guard, Second Year.
Martin became the 49ers' center last season after Daniel Kilgore broke his leg.
Martin was awful.
Pro Football Focus gave him a minus-17.1 grade. If Kilgore's leg is OK, he will be the center next season. Martin's best chance to start probably won't come until 2016. Alex Boone, the Niners' starting right guard, will be a free agent in 2016 and probably won't be re-signed. Maybe Martin can replace him. Maybe Martin plays better at right guard than center. We'll find out in 2016.
Now that those three are out of the way, here are the top-five 49ers whose roles should increase next season.
Carlos Hyde, Running Back, Second Year
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Carlos Hyde seemed out of place last season.
He didn't have a role in the offense. Technically, he was Frank Gore's backup, the 49ers' change-of-pace running back, but he wasn't a change of pace. Hyde and Gore are the same type of running back—big, powerful backs who aren't fast.
Gore's backup should be fast. A fast backup forces opposing defenses to worry about two types of running backs. Kendall Hunter is fast, complementing Gore perfectly. Hunter was supposed to be the backup, but he tore his ACL during training camp.
Hyde became the backup by default, and he wasn't suited for the job. The coaches couldn't figure out an effective way to use him. He carried the ball only 83 times. He was redundant.
Now that Gore is out, Hyde is the heart of the offense. The Niners don't have to figure out ways to use him anymore—they just have to use him as much as possible. He is the only power running back left on the team. He might even lead the NFL in carries next season.
Aaron Lynch, Outside Linebacker, Second Year
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Aaron Lynch was the 49ers' best pass-rusher in training camp. This was obvious. But he started the regular season on the bench. Ahmad Brooks and Corey Lemonier were the starting outside linebackers, while Aldon Smith served his nine-game suspension.
The 49ers had high hopes for Brooks and Lemonier. Brooks was coming off a Pro Bowl season, and Lemonier was a former third-round pick coming into his second season. Lynch was just a 21-year-old rookie the Niners drafted in Round 5.
Brooks and Lemonier flopped. Brooks was out of shape; Lemonier was one big nothing. Actually, he was something—a waste of a draft pick. He is a good athlete who has no pass-rushing technique. He doesn't use his arms. He isn't violent.
Lynch is violent. He played 521 snaps last season and had six sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Next season, he should start and play about 1,000 snaps. He easily could finish the season with 12 sacks, which would make him one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL.
Brandon Thomas, Guard, Second Year
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Left guard is Brandon Thomas' job to lose, but he hasn't done anything yet to earn it.
He tore his ACL in a non-contact drill during a pre-draft workout with the New Orleans Saints on April 8, 2014. He missed his entire rookie season. Before Thomas tore his ACL, experts considered him one of the best guard prospects in the draft and expected teams to take him in Round 2.
When the Niners took him in Round 3, they knew he couldn't play in 2014. They didn't draft him for 2014; they drafted him for 2015. Mike Iupati's contract expired this offseason, and the Niners didn't want to spend the money required to re-sign him, so they drafted a replacement a year before he left.
If Thomas' knee holds up, he might be an upgrade over Iupati. But that isn't saying much.
Iupati can hardly move. He's strictly a right guard in a drive-blocking scheme at this point in his career. Thomas has the quickness to play in a drive-blocking scheme, and he has the speed to play in a zone-blocking scheme, as well.
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Quinton Dial, Defensive Tackle, Third Year
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Quinton Dial became the 49ers' nose tackle after starter Ian Williams broke his leg Week 10 against the Saints. Dial struggled his first few games in the starting lineup—he was a backup defensive end until Williams went down. Dial had to get accustomed to a new position.
By Week 15, Dial was more than accustomed. He was a terrific nose tackle and the best run defender on the 49ers.
Williams should be healthy next season, and so should Glenn Dorsey, the Niners' other nose tackle. So, Dial probably won't play that position. However, the Niners have a hole at left defensive end—that's where Dial most likely will play.
Left defensive end was Ray McDonald's position before the 49ers released him in December. McDonald is one of the best left defensive ends in the NFL. His backup last season was Tony Jerod-Eddie, a former undrafted free agent who is no good. He should be no competition for Dial.
Bruce Ellington, Wide Receiver, Second Year
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The 49ers' offensive coaching staff ignored Bruce Ellington last season. He caught only six passes.
They drafted Ellington in the fourth round. Instead, they could have drafted wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who caught 26 passes for 549 yards and eight touchdowns last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maybe the 49ers should have drafted Bryant. At least, he's big at 6'4" and 211 pounds. Ellington is a tiny target, and Colin Kaepernick isn't particularly accurate—they're not a great match. When Kaepernick tried to throw downfield to Ellington during training camp, his passes often sailed behind Ellington or over his head. Ellington won't flourish until Kaepernick improves his accuracy.
Ellington would flourish with a more accurate quarterback. Imagine how good he might be with the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers. Ellington is just as athletic as the Packers' Pro Bowl receiver Randall Cobb:
Ellington: 5'9," 197 pounds, 4.45 40-yard dash, 120-inch broad jump, 39 ½-inch vertical jump, 31-inch arms, 9 ⅝-inch hands, 6.69 3-cone drill and 3.95 20-yard shuttle, per NFL.com.
Cobb: 5'10," 191 pounds, 4.46 40-yard dash, 115-inch broad jump, 33 ½-inch vertical jump, 31-inch arms, 9 ⅜-inch hands, 7.08 3-cone drill and 4.34 20-yard shuttle, per NFL.com.
Ellington might be more athletic than Cobb, and he's too talented to ignore. He certainly is more talented than the team's No. 3 receiver, Jerome Simpson. Ellington should pass him on the 49ers' depth chart during training camp.
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