What the 49ers Can Do This Offseason to Ensure a Playoff Push in 2015

The San Francisco 49ers' 2014 season came to an end last Sunday with a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals that ensured an 8-8 finish at the climax of a year that saw them miss the the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 campaign.

Shortly after that victory, San Francisco announced it had "mutually agreed to part ways" with head coach Jim Harbaugh after a four-season spell in which the former Stanford coach took the Niners to three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance.

Harbaugh has now agreed to take over at this alma mater, the University of Michigan, but for the 49ers attention now turns to the retooling of their coaching staff and a team that looks to have more holes than it did at the end of the 2013 season.

San Francisco was hampered significantly by injuries in 2014 but, following the disappointing form of a number of key players, will likely be looking to make changes to a talented roster and make some salary cap savings in the offseason.

But first CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke will attempt to find a head coach that shares their vision for the 49ers. It is a decision the Niners cannot afford to get wrong as they attempt to get back to the postseason in 2015. Here I break down what San Francisco can do to make sure it is playing playoff football 12 months from now.

Potential Player Departures

Let's start by taking a look at the players that will be out of contract in the offseason, which are detailed in the table below.

	Position	Contract Status
Chris Cook	CB	UFA
Michael Crabtree	WR	UFA
Chris Culliver	CB	UFA
Blaine Gabbert	QB	UFA
Frank Gore	RB	UFA
Mike Iupati	G	UFA
Brandon Lloyd	WR	UFA
Dan Skuta	LB	UFA
Raymond Ventrone	S	UFA
Kassim Osgood	WR	UFA
Josh Johnson	QB	UFA
Kyle Nelson	LS	UFA
Perrish Cox	CB	UFA
Garrett Celek	TE	RFA
Michael Wilhoite	LB	ERFA
Tony Jerod-Eddie	DE	ERFA

It is clear the 49ers—per Over The Cap—figure to be $3.57 million over the salary cap in 2015 and are likely to lose some key players to free agency in the offseason. Indeed, with a possible extension for 2016 free-agent outside linebacker Aldon Smith to think about, the Niners may be content to allow their bigger free agents to walk.

Guard Mike Iupati has expressed a desire to return to the 49ers, but as Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) No. 2 run-blocking guard in the league, he should command a good amount of money on the open market if he chooses to test it.

Meanwhile, Michael Crabtree failed to perform in this contract year, catching 68 balls for 698 yards and four touchdowns, and it would be no surprise if he was to part company with a 49er team that appeared to possess too many possession receivers and a paucity of deep threats in the 2014 season.

By contrast it would be a shock if at least one of Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox is not back with the team next year after both of the cornerbacks enjoyed decent seasons for a defense that was tested by injuries on the back end in 2014.

Away from prospective free agents, defensive lineman Justin Smith is leaning towards retirement, according to NFL Media's Alex Flanagan, while outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and Vernon Davis could each be candidates to be cap casualties.

Brooks, per Rotoword, is scheduled to earn $6 million in 2015 plus $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses, numbers that seem extremely inflated given he ended the season ranked at No. 42 among all 3-4 outside linebackers by PFF and did little to impress his coaches in 2014.

The former Cincinnati Bengal, per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, had a spat on the sideline with defensive line coach Jim Tomsula in the Week 11 win over the New York Giants. This after previously being revealed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, to have reported to training camp overweight.

Tight end Davis endured the worst season of his 49ers career, catching just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns and, after holding out in search of an extension prior to the season, the Niners may feel the $4.35 million he is due to earn next year is too much for a player seemingly on the decline.

But the biggest offseason storyline involving a player figures to surround all-time leading rusher Frank Gore. He is out of contract for the first time in his NFL career, and, per Barrows, wants to be back with the Niners after putting up his eighth 1,000-yard rushing season. Whether he does or not will depend on the new coach and guarantees over Gore's role going forward in a backfield that also features Carlos Hyde and Kendall Hunter.

Hiring the Right Coach

The Niners will soon have to make a decision on Gore and their other out-of-contract players, however, the immediate priority is finding a head coach that can carry on the good work of Harbaugh and get San Francisco back in the postseason.

There is much debate as to what kind of coach the 49ers should look to bring in. Should they hire an offensive guru that can aid the development of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, or instead look to bring a defensive-minded coach that can build the team around a defense that finished the season in the top five despite the loss of a number of key players to injuries?

It remains unclear in which direction the Niners will go, however, what is evident is the organization needs to accept what it has in Kaepernick, who struggled markedly when asked to operate as a pocket passer in 2014.

Game	Attempts	Yards	TD	QBR
CHI	9	64	0	57.0
@ ARI	12	54	0	103.3
PHI	7	58	0	87.9
SDG	7	151	1	87.8
ARI	7	63	0	108.5

There has been talk of the new head coach needing to "fix" Kaepernick, however, to suggest that is to misunderstand the problem, which is the Niners did not play to the strengths of their dual-threat signal-caller.

Kaepernick excels in improvisation, using his athleticism to make big gains with his legs and with his impressive arm strength, but instead he was largely confined to the pocket in 2014, struggling to see the field or feel pressure and consistently making bad decisions.

The former Nevada man was given free licence to make more of an impact with his legs in the final two games, and the results speak for themselves. San Francisco scored 35 points in the Week 16 defeat to San Diego with Kaepernick contributing a 90-yard touchdown run as the offense focused on Gore and the ground game.

San Francisco's offensive game plan was again built around Gore against the Cardinals, and putting the strain on its starting tailback took the pressure off Kaepernick, who tossed two touchdowns and also did damage as a runner.

Those final two games give the prospective new head coach a window into how to utilize the 2011 second-round pick. Kaepernick's vision, pocket presence, decision-making and ability to feel pressure can all be worked out, yet for a franchise only interested in winning now, the Niners need a head coach that understands the need to use their quarterback as a part of the offense, not the focal point of it.

Any external coach, whether that be an offensive guy such as Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels or a defensive mind like Dan Quinn or Todd Bowles, is likely to want to bring in their own staff. And, given the struggles of an offense ranked at No. 20 under much-maligned coordinator Greg Roman, that may not be a bad thing.

On the defensive side of the ball, the key thing for the 49ers' next head coach to remember is this unit does not require much in the way of change following its outstanding performance under Fangio, who—per Barrows—has interviewed for Harbaugh's old position.

Quinn and Bowles, defensive coordinators for Seattle and Arizona, respectively, have the pedigree to maintain or even improve the play of Fangio's group and can perhaps be considered as safe options for the role.

The key in San Francisco, though, is hiring a coach with a keen awareness of the issues the 49ers have on both sides of the ball.

Whoever takes over from Harbaugh needs to recognize this is a team that, despite a number of holes, does not need to be tinkered with too much. It is up to York and Baalke to find the man who knows this and has the right vision to turn the Niners back into a contender.

Personnel Moves

Build Around Gore and The O-Line

The strength of the San Francisco offense was made clear in the eight games the Niners did win in 2014, most of which came on the back of their running game.

Gore had at least 15 carries in all but one of San Francisco's victories this season and racked up 302 yards on the ground in the last two games of the campaign as the 31-year-old secured his eighth 1,000-yard season and surpassed 11,000 career rushing yards.

His performances against the San Diego Chargers and Cardinals should leave the 49er organization under no illusions that Gore is the key member of the San Francisco offense and still has what it takes to do significant damage to opposing defenses with his patience and vision.

Bringing Gore back and keeping him as the focal point of the offense is the best solution for this struggling unit, which features an offensive line built for run blocking. All of the Niners' starting linemen received positive grades in run blocking from PFF and, although they could lose Iupati to free agency, the presence of promising interior linemen Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas means there is little reason why this group cannot dominate in that area again.

Despite his advancing years, Gore shows no signs of slowing down and evidently still has the motor to carry an offense on his back. However, backups Carlos Hyde and Kendall Hunter can serve as good complements to the former Miami Hurricane.

Hunter missed the 2014 season with a torn ACL but has regularly proven to be an able deputy to Gore, while Hyde has displayed the brute force and power that convinced the 49ers to spend a second-round pick on the ex-Ohio State Buckeye.

Hyde rushed for 333 yards and four touchdowns in his maiden year in the league and averaged over nine yards a carry in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks before picking up an injury that kept him out of the final two games of the season.

The Niners have all the tools for a successful running game. They don't need to put the entire load on Gore, however, the 2014 season once again proved he is still their most talented offensive player and likely the key to San Francisco's hopes of returning to playoff contention.

Add a Deep Threat

In the 2014 draft, the 49ers chose not to select a receiver in the early rounds despite the class being particularly deep at wideout. The Niners waited until the fourth round to pick up Bruce Ellington in a decision that is looking all the more foolish.

While rookie wideouts such as Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans have all excelled, San Francisco has struggled for consistent production from its pass-catchers, with Anquan Boldin proving to be the 49ers' only reliable receiver.

Boldin recorded his second 1,000-yard season in as many years with the Niners, however, San Francisco's lack of a receiver capable of stretching the field was glaringly obvious and made all the more damaging by the disappearance of Davis.

It will be interesting to see if the 49ers decide to keep hold of Davis, yet regardless of whether the 30-year-old is back in San Francisco, there is a clear need for the Niners to bring in a potential top-tier deep threat this offseason.

The good news for the Niners, who pick at No. 15 in the first round, is there are a number of players that will be available when they are on the clock who have the size and the talent to be the big-play receiver San Francisco has been lacking.

Although a trade up for Alabama wideout and Biletnikoff Award winner Amari Cooper, who is viewed as the prospective No. 5 player in the draft by CBS Sports, may be too expensive, there should be a good amount of players still on the board when the Niners select that could make a big difference to a receiving corps in need of a remodel.

Louisville star DeVante Parker is perhaps the best of the rest after Cooper, with his 6'3" and 208-pound frame, ability to go up and high-point the football and create separation on deep routes an exciting combination of attributes for any NFL team.

Parker averaged 19.9 yards per reception in 2014, per Sports Reference, but, even if his stock rises, the Niners figure to have plenty of options at their spot in the first round.

Indeed, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong, West Virginia's Kevin White, Devin Funchess of Michigan and Sammie Coates of Auburn all have the size to box out defenders and give San Francisco a target who can make the difference down the field and in the red zone, an area in which the Niners have continued to struggle.

The 49ers finished the season at No. 29 in red-zone scoring, according to Team Rankings, and had just five plays of 40 yards or more in 2014. Opposing defenses did not respect San Francisco's deep passing game this campaign, however, by avoiding the same mistake of the last draft, they can make sure that is not the case in 2015.

Rework the Front Seven

While the 49er defense may not require much in the way of change, the front seven of that impressive unit perhaps needs some retooling due to the potential departures to some veteran players in that group.

With Justin Smith pondering retirement and Ray McDonald having already been released following allegations of sexual assault, the Niners' previously deep defensive line is now looking a little thin.

Both Smith and McDonald were ranked in the top 15 among all 3-4 defensive ends in 2014 by PFF, but the 49ers will have hope those spots can be filled by Cornellius "Tank" Carradine and Quinton Dial after the second-year duo finished strong, combining for five sacks and 26 defensive stops, per PFF.

San Francisco should be strong at nose tackle with Ian Williams and Glenn Dorsey, however, below Carradine and Dial there is little in terms of strength in depth. An infusion of competition, either via free agency or the draft, appears necessary, yet the key to ensuring the 49er front seven again excels in 2015 is making sure they get three inside linebackers on the field.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

All-Pros Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman have long been considered to be the Niners' best defensive players, but with Bowman missing the entire year and Willis spending most of the season on the sidelines due to a toe injury, Chris Borland made the most of the chance to insert his name into that conversation.

Borland, a third-round pick out of Wisconsin, enjoyed a superb rookie year, racking up 107 tackles and two interceptions, production that is far too impressive to leave on the bench. Willis and Bowman will probably be back to full health again in 2015, and the emergence of Borland leaves the Niners with something of a desirable predicament at the linebacker position.

The best solution on the face of things would be to shift either Bowman or Willis to the outside and fill the hole that could be left by Brooks if the Niners choose to part ways with him. Both Bowman and Willis have proven adept at rushing the passer and in coverage and are better suited to playing outside than the less physically imposing Borland.

With Carradine and Dial potentially taking over the starting spots on the defensive line, the 49er front seven is in line to get younger. Another edge rusher to complement Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch would not be a bad investment, but as long as the Niners are able to ensure there is depth up front and get all of their three talented inside linebackers on the field, the front seven figures to again be one of the strongest in the league.

Bolster The Secondary

San Francisco's secondary had been viewed as the weak point of the defense ahead of the 2014 season, which the 49ers ended ranked at No. 5 in passing defense.

The Niners' performance in defending the pass was particularly surprising due to injuries suffered by the back end of their defense, which saw starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Tramaine Brock both miss time.

Rookie nickel corner Jimmie Ward was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury after the Week 10 win over the New Orleans Saints, while free safety Eric Reid suffered his third concussion in just two NFL seasons in the Week 16 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

Reid's developing tendency towards head injuries should worry the 49ers enough to lead them to try to find a backup more capable than Craig Dahl. However, more pressing for a secondary that was forced to promote Leon McFadden from the practice squad and bring in Marcus Cromartie as a free agent to make up the numbers towards the end of the year is the lack of quality depth of corner.

Culliver—rated as the No. 14 corner in the league by PFF—and Cox have done enough to earn new contracts with the 49ers, the latter tied for a league-high five interceptions. Rookie Dontae Johnson also played well when called upon, but the fact remains San Francisco does not possess a true shutdown corner.

Luring prospective free agent Byron Maxwell away from the Seattle Seahawks' dominant defense is one option the Niners could pursue. Brandon Flowers of the San Diego Chargers is also in line to become available again after meeting with the Niners prior to signing with San Diego, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo (h/t David Fucillo of Niners Nation).

Given their draft placing, the Niners could be considered contenders to select Michigan State's Trae Waynes, Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu or Washington Marcus Peters, regarded as the top three players in what will likely be a weak cornerback class in 2015, in the first round.

San Francisco may feel, following its defense's play against the pass in 2014, it does not need to add more corners into the mix. But on the back of a year in which it was decimated by the injury bug, it would be a foolish decision from the 49ers not to do so.

Final Thoughts

The 49ers head into the 2015 offseason in a unique position. They were considered to be a Super Bowl contender ahead of the 2014 campaign, yet are now looking for a new head coach after a year that could have resulted in a playoff berth with some offensive consistency and better fortune with injuries.

San Francisco therefore needs a coach that believes sweeping changes are not necessary, and with the right personnel moves from Baalke such as re-signing Gore and acquiring a big-play receiver, there is little reason why the Niners cannot make a swift return to postseason play.

All statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise stated.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.