Wholesale Changes Loom for 49ers After Disappointing 2014 Season
2014 may very well signify the end of an era for the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers will not return to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season after being eliminated by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. The loss moves this current group into lame-duck status, and San Francisco is now relegated into the spoiler role over its final two contests.
On one hand, the 49ers still have a chance to finish with a 9-7 record—certainly not a failed season by many NFL fans' standards.
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Additionally, it is impossible to view this era as a complete failure even if it came to a crashing end.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN writes, most teams would be perfectly content with three NFC Championship appearances in a four-year period.
But what makes this elimination so tough is just how close the 49ers have been in years prior. 2014 was supposed to be the year in which San Francisco finally secured its sixth Super Bowl.
That dream has ended—at least this time. Ending with it will likely be a large cast of the characters that have defined the 49ers franchise during the Jim Harbaugh era and before.
Harbaugh's future will ultimately be the hot point of discussion after the regular season concludes. With one year remaining on his five-year deal, the head coach's destination seems anywhere but with the 49ers in 2015. Front-office conflicts among Harbaugh, CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke have done more to damage this relationship beyond repair.
"I’m always available to sit down with the owner or general manager, absolutely," Harbaugh said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com when asked about a potential meeting to discuss his tenure with the team.
The results of this pending meeting will be the focal point of the 49ers' offseason discussion. But a regime change is only part of what will happen in San Francisco.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman is certainly going to be receiving his walking papers at season's end. His unpopularity within the 49ers fanbase makes him an easy target regardless of what percent of the offense's struggles are his fault.
But the numbers don't lie, and Christian Gin of Examiner.com points out a lowly comparison between the 49ers' 2014 offense and another offense during a darker period in San Francisco:
On the defensive side of the ball, coordinator Vic Fangio has certainly earned his stars given how many injuries have plagued his unit. While Fangio remaining in San Francisco would be nice, it's hard not to imagine other franchises considering the defensive coordinator for a head coaching job.
Coaching changes are just part of what is on the horizon.
A salary cap-pressed 49ers franchise will have plenty of tough choices to make this offseason regarding its player personnel.
Running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, left guard Mike Iupati and cornerback Chris Culliver are among the notable free agents entering 2015.
Iupati, who was drafted No. 17 overall in 2010 by San Francisco, will likely be one of the most sought-after offensive linemen on the market. He is finishing up a five-year, $15.11 million deal that averaged just over $3 million per season.
His next contract will assuredly be much higher.
The 49ers hope to have figured out his replacement next season. O-linemen like Joe Looney, Marcus Martin, Daniel Kilgore and rookie Brandon Thomas might compete for playing time along the interior positions.
| WR Michael Crabtree | 27 | 6 years | $32 million | $5.333 million |
| RB Frank Gore | 31 | 3 years | $19.212 million | $6.404 million |
| OG Mike Iupati | 27 | 5 years | $15.110 million | $3.022 million |
| QB Blaine Gabbert | 25 | 4 years | $12.001 million | $3 million |
| LB Dan Skuta | 28 | 2 years | $3 million | $1.5 million |
| CB Chris Culliver | 26 | 4 years | $2.639 million | $659,719 |
Crabtree is another one of those who has likely worked himself out of the 49ers' future plans financially.
The 27-year-old wideout is having a down season when most would have expected big numbers out of a contract year. He has just 63 receptions for 652 yards, and his 10.3 yards per catch is the lowest mark at any point over his six-year career.
Crabtree's lack of production will drop his price tag a bit, but it's difficult to envision a scenario in which he returns to the 49ers unless it's on a very team-friendly deal. It also isn't out of the question to suggest San Francisco targeting a speedy wide receiver instead of the hands-on type of wideout in the mold of Crabtree.
Culliver is another one of those pending free agents that will likely be playing his last days in San Francisco. The emergence of rookie Dontae Johnson and Perrish Cox (who is a free agent as well but could return on a cheap contract) negates the need to keep Culliver on the roster.
But San Francisco has seen what a depleted secondary means on defense. Culliver has a history of injuries. He missed all of 2013 and has missed four games this season.
Gore is perhaps the most difficult decision to make in regards to legacy. In reality, his departure from the 49ers is inevitable at some point. The 31-year-old veteran has been through plenty with this franchise. But turning the page is something San Francisco will have to consider at some point soon.
The all-time 49ers rushing leader doesn't want to retire. At least not yet.
“I feel great and I know it’s a contract year for me,” Gore said, via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. “I still love the game and I feel great and I still want to play the game. I feel like I’m still playing at a high level and you know I’m just coming out here week to week.
"And if I won’t be back here, then I’ll show the other teams what I can do. But I want to be back here.”
Gore's $6.4 million average yearly salary will be tough to work into San Francisco's financial plans in 2015. Plus, the 49ers have to take into account his age and productivity. Even if he returns at the league minimum, San Francisco might elect to get younger with rookie running back Carlos Hyde as the No. 1 ground threat.
But there are other pending questions as well.
Big ones.
Defensive end Justin Smith is another player who hinted at retirement, per Maiocco. He writes that Smith has made public statements about making that decision during the offseason. But people within the organization feel as if Smith might be leaning toward ending his career.
If the latter is the case, one might speculate that the 49ers would attempt to replace him with defensive end Tank Carradine. The second-year pro was drafted No. 40 overall in 2013 but missed his rookie campaign with an injury. He has been scantly used, despite his potential, until the latter half of this year.
Then there are the concerns surrounding underachieving veterans like outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and tight end Vernon Davis.
Brooks' struggles have been highlighted by two games in which the 30-year-old linebacker was benched in favor of the younger, faster linebacker Aaron Lynch.
While Brooks leads the defense with six sacks, Lynch isn't far behind with five of his own.
With Brooks scheduled to make $6 million in base salary next year, it's hard to envision the 49ers keeping him on the roster. He may very well be a cap casualty during the offseason.
Davis is another player who warrants the same discussion. The former first-round draft pick of San Francisco in 2006 is going through the worst statistical season of his NFL career since his rookie campaign.
The 30-year-old tight end sat out a portion of training camp seeking a hefty contract extension. But it is clear that the 49ers made the right decision in not granting him one.
Offensively, Davis has just 25 receptions for 236 yards on the year. His blocking abilities, once a preeminent strength, have also dwindled as further illustrated by @Tre9er of Niners Nation:
"Watch Vernon Davis do absolutely nothing on this play, as his man stops Miller. https://t.co/pk9Juw0awV
— Tre9er (@Tre9er) December 15, 2014"
Davis—who is scheduled to make $7.01 million in a 2015 contract year—is another one of those players who could become a cap casualty if San Francisco feels that his 2014 campaign is an indication of what to expect moving forward.
Then there is quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Like many of the other players listed, Kaepernick is also posting a disappointing 2014 campaign. His accuracy, decision-making and pocket poise have been in question all season, which has led to speculation of whether his progression is moving forward at all.
Kaepernick's lucrative, but complicated, contract presents him with a base salary of $12.4 million next year.
But as Maiocco points out, the 49ers aren't likely to move on from their signal-caller in 2015 and may want to see what the quarterback can do within a new offensive scheme.
The big question will be whether Kaepernick is experiencing the same sort of problems a year from now. His total salary jumps to $18.765 million in 2016. Plus, there is the pending question of whether a new head coach will choose to stick with Kaepernick as the team's franchise quarterback.
One thing is for certain: San Francisco will employ a lot of new faces in 2015. Some of the likely departed—Roman, Crabtree, Iupati, Brooks and Culliver—will be relatively easy to accept.
But the pending departures of Harbaugh, Gore and potentially Smith do more than just prompt tough questions for this franchise.
It signifies the end of an era.
Yet the closing of one phase ultimately opens up a new one. It will be up to those who run this franchise to determine the best course of action in which the 49ers should take. One would hope that this path is a positive step in the right direction.
Whether it will be is anyone's guess.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Contractual information courtesy of Spotrac.com.
Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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