The San Francisco 49ers Christmas Wish List

All across the country, children are frantically writing their wish lists for Santa Claus and hoping that even the most impossible gifts will be under their tree come this Friday.

And let's face it—more than a few adult football fans are wishing for the impossible just as hard as their kids for a new Red Ryder BB Gun.

San Francisco fans are not any different than any other NFL fan, and now that their playoff hopes are done they can turn their attention to some things that might come in handy for 2010.

Continuity

It's not just the 49ers—plenty of teams in the NFL have gone through major staff changes on a nearly yearly basis.

Still, the Niners have made the coaching carousel an art form.

According to Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat, in the current staff we have the fourth head coach this decade (Singletary), the seventh offensive coordinator (Raye) and the seventh defensive coordinator (Manusky).

That constant state of flux isn't good for anyone. It's hampered player development, most notably in the case of Alex Smith. It hasn't given the offense a distinct personality to draw from when struggling.

That Singletary has been coach for two years straight is something of a miracle, really. That miracle has to continue if the Niners are going to be serious players in the NFC.

You don't see successful teams turn over their coaching staff every year.

If you're a 49er player, coach, or fan there is nothing more important to this team's ability to reach the next level than keeping this core group of coaches together.

They may struggle and have growing pains (need I mention the words pains and Singletary together?). However, you need to give them time to find their way.

Which brings us to the next entry on this list...

Patience

It's hard. Trust me—not only have I followed the 49ers, but I also follow the New York Jets.

Losing—no matter how close the game—is incredibly painful and frustrating.

You want something, anything to spark a change. Fire the coach. Fire the quarterback. Fire the owner. Fire them all out of a cannon and towards the sun.

The simple truth is that it can take a team several years to contend and stay at that level.

Sure, the Miami Dolphins seemed to turn things around as soon as Bill Parcels arrived. Really the team wasn't as bad off as people thought to begin with and has backslid a bit this year anyway.

Plus, it's Bill Parcells. If you are going to compare Mike Singletary's ability to turn a franchise around as a coach to Big Tuna as a GM, then you've got some letdown coming.

It's not to say Singletary isn't good. He is. Remember, this is a team that prior to his hiring had lacked consistent leadership for years.

So in comes Singletary and BOOM, Vernon Davis is productive, and BAM, Alex Smith plays well.

Small steps, sure. But over time, those small steps can cover long roads.

Fans just need to give this team time to find it's way. You can't buy success—you need to work at it every day.

With luck, this team will actually have the same staff around for two consecutive years and hold the same head coach for three years in a row.

For guys like Alex Smith and Vernon Davis—both of whom have struggled at least in part due to constant coaching shifts—that could be huge.

It also may take time to bear fruit.

So for the fans, here's hoping they are more patient than the kids sneaking down in the wee morning hours to peek at Christmas presents.

Alex Smith

When Alex Smith was drafted in 2005 out of Utah, many thought that it would only be a matter of time before he put the franchise back on top.

They're still waiting.

To be fair, it's hard to develop when you're coach is a new face every spring. Smith has also battled injury and constant pressure and sacks behind a sometimes shaky offensive line.

So for Christmas—and the 2010 season—I would like to see Smith get another full year behind a solid offensive line, injury free and with a complete pre-season.

Is Smith the answer for the 49ers long term? Maybe, maybe not.

But it'd be nice to have a clean look again next year.

Michael Crabtree

It hasn't been an easy year for Crabtree.

First, his injured foot kept him out of the NFL Combine and submarined his Pro Day. Then he nearly slipped out of the top ten during the NFL Draft. After a few appearances during the preseason, Crabtree began one of the longest rookie holdouts in NFL history.

It took a long time, but when Crabtree finally hit the field, he hit it running. In just nine games, he has 41 receptions for 499 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

If he had made it into camp, if he had been able to get time with either Shaun Hill or Alex Smith, he might be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That's a lot of "ifs". One thing is for sure, Crabtree has talent.

So for this Christmas, let's hope he gets some better advice, a calm off-season, and a productive preseason.

If Santa brings at least those three things, the 49ers offense will have a very potent weapon.

Vernon Davis

Perhaps head coach Mike Singletary's greatest success—Davis put aside his attitude, immaturity, and complaints and emerged as one of the top tight ends in the NFL.

Many players might have collapsed under the benching, the verbal lashings, and discipline Singletary placed on Davis. Indeed, so few tried to handle him in such a manner that one must assume that previous coaches must have assumed the mercurial tight end would snap if pushed to hard.

Yet here is a player who seems—at least in retrospect—to have been crying out for just such methods.

Instead of breaking, Davis responded with a career year. His 69 catches for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns only tell part of the story. Davis has become a player who Alex Smith (and Shaun Hill before him) can trust to make tough catches.

For 2009, Davis needs to be asking Santa for some more consistent offense, continued maturity and patience as well as the further development of rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Between Crabtree and Davis, this could be a very dangerous passing offense in 2010.

Frank Gore

For sure, Gore will shortly be breaking 1,000 yards rushing again, which will cap another solid season for the former Miami running back.

Even so, there have been times when Gore has not been as productive as he could be.

Sometimes it's when the play-calling hews away from the run game, even if the clock needs to be burned. At other times, it was the re-emergence of injuries, something Gore was plagued by early in his career.

Whatever the reason, Frank Gore could be even more valuable to this team.

In order to do so, he needs Santa to bring him several things.

First, he needs a reliable back-up. It could be that rookie Glenn Coffee will emerge as that player, but thus far Coffee has not stepped up to the task. Gore hasn't been over-used this year (indeed, one might argue they get away from the run too often), but now more than ever, teams need to be able to rest their starters. Playoff teams more than anyone.

This doesn't mean resting them for whole games, but instead mixing in another back to save wear and tear on the main back.

What good is making the playoffs if your best back burns out?

He also needs the offensive line to continue to block as well for him next year as they have this year. Gore's yards per carry is at 5.3, the second highest average of his career.

While the line has struggled at times to pass block, they have done a fairly good job of opening lanes for Gore. His average is helped by the long runs he frequently breaks, but those runs develop in part because the line is doing their job well.

Gore could also use more consistency from the pass game. Yes, it's been more dynamic since Alex Smith took over the starting job, but Smith does tend to be sporadic in his accuracy; and until he can settle down and protect the ball better, teams will continue to focus on the run.

It hasn't killed Gore this season, but it would be nice if he saw less eight man fronts. Continued development of Smith, Crabtree and Davis—as well as second tier guys like Josh Morgan—will loosen things up for Gore and make life easier.

Finally, let's get the man more runs. I know I just said he needs a consistent back to spell him. That wasn't about carries per game so much as it was making sure Gore can take a seat over the course of a season without the wheels coming off of the offense.

The thing is, Gore has only topped 20 carries three times this season.

For a back like him, you need to get him the ball more. Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye—who has been more known for his work with running backs than quarterbacks—has become enamored with passing the ball.

They need to get the ball to their main back more often. Balance is nice, but in a division with a team like the Cardinals who make their livelihood on the long ball, you want to control the clock and keep the opposing offense off the field.

To do that, we need more Gore.

Arizona Cardinals

Okay, so maybe we're still wishing for things Santa is unlikely to bring.

But is it too much to ask for the Arizona Cardinals to take a minor trip somewhere in the next two weeks—say in the South Pacific—where the plane might make an unscheduled stop on a weird, not-so-deserted island?

Only to reappear after the 49ers win the Super Bowl?

Far-fetched? Maybe.

But what kid doesn't ask Santa for one impossible present each Christmas?

Besides I think Kurt Warner would make an outstanding Jack.