San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players Who Are in Line for an Increased Role in 2015
The San Francisco 49ers finished the 2014 season with a record of 8-8, missing the playoffs for the first time under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Little did we know how much turmoil and upheaval was to follow. The offseason started off poorly and has gone from bad to worse.
First, it was the awkward departure of Harbaugh, who had coached the 49ers into the playoffs in his three prior seasons. The 49ers also made it to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season and had a great chance to win.
How quickly the 49ers' window of opportunity has slammed shut.
This was followed by general manager Trent Baalke's circuitous pursuit of a head coach. It certainly seemed like the 49ers were settling for less than they hoped when they hired former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
Tomsula seems to be well-liked by his players, but his NFL coaching career was exclusively in San Francisco. This meant that Tomsula did not have a ton of close contacts outside of the 49ers organization, which may have made it tough to hire top quality assistant coaches.
Several of the top assistant coaches in San Francisco moved on. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, one of the most highly respected defensive minds in the game, has departed.
Fangio had the 49ers defense playing at a very high level, even with myriad injuries and suspensions. Now, he is gone, along with Ed Donatell, one of the best defensive backfield coaches in the NFL.
In addition, special teams coordinator Brad Seely and offensive line coach Mike Solari have both moved on. Both were well-respected and did an excellent job.
The assistant coaches Baalke ended up hiring come from different backgrounds and it will take time for them to have the same synergy as the previous coaching staff.
In addition, like Tomsula, the promotion of defensive coordinator Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Geep Chryst seemed like the 49ers were settling for less than they had originally hoped.
It is unfortunate because Tomsula seems like a good man, but he has been dealt a bad hand. We may never know if he would have been able to successfully coach at this level.
In addition to the entire coaching fiasco, the 49ers roster is undergoing a major shuffle.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is likely to depart via free agency, but the 49ers signed Torrey Smith, which will offset the loss of Crabtree. This was the only move that appears to be even a modest upgrade. All of the other roster changes look like the 49ers are moving backward.
Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox and Dan Skuta have all departed as free agents. In addition, the surprise retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland have decimated the 49ers linebacker corps.
Along the defensive line, Ray McDonald is gone and there is a strong likelihood that defensive end Justin Smith will decide to retire.
These are nine key players the 49ers will not have in 2015. Outside of the Crabtree replacement, each of the positions looks weaker.
Although Anquan Boldin, Joe Staley and Antoine Bethea will provide veteran leadership, there will still be some leadership void without Gore, Willis and Justin Smith, if he opts to retire.
Baalke will attempt to bolster the roster in the upcoming draft, but he won't be able to fill all the holes just from the draft alone.
In addition to Smith, he has added free agents Reggie Bush, Erik Pears, Jerome Simpson, Darnell Dockett, Chris Cook and Shareece Wright. However, outside of Bush and perhaps Dockett, none can be considered an impact player.
Baalke will undoubtedly continue to search the free-agent market for players to add to the roster, but now, unfortunately for the 49ers, most of the top free agents are already signed.
The quality and depth of the 49ers roster will be severely tested. Several players who played modest roles in 2014 will need to step up this year or the season will crumble.
Let's take a closer look at five players who absolutely must emerge as stars in 2015.
Carlos Hyde, Running Back
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The player with the biggest increase in his role and responsibility this year is Carlos Hyde. He will be expected to be the 49ers' main running back, with Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter playing complementary roles.
For the past 10 years, Frank Gore has toiled and persevered with the 49ers. In eight of those seasons, Gore rushed for over 1,000 yards, including the past four consecutive years.
Since 2011, Gore has average 268 carries per year and 1,165 yards. In addition to still being a very productive running back, Gore is also one of the best in the game at picking up the blitz and protecting his quarterback.
Hyde has some enormous shoes to fill. In 2014, he had 83 rushing attempts for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry. In comparison, Gore averaged 4.3.
A major concern with Hyde is his durability. He has a very upright running style, which exposes his legs to more violent hits.
The 49ers are expected to have a run-oriented offense. The absence of Gore could prove to be a major loss if Hyde gets hurt. Unfortunately, Hyde's running style will make him more susceptible to injury.
Tank Carradine, Defensive End
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The 49ers drafted Tank Carradine in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was the 40th overall player selected and would have gone higher if he was not injured in his final college season at Florida State.
Carradine did not play in 2013 and had only a marginal role in 2014. He appeared in nine games and accumulated 16 tackles, including three sacks.
With the departure of Ray McDonald and the likely retirement of Justin Smith, the 49ers will need Carradine to emerge as a star.
General manager Trent Baalke signed free-agent defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who is coming off an ACL injury. Dockett did not play in 2014 and will be 34 years old this year. If healthy, Dockett will contribute, but his best days are behind him.
The San Francisco defensive line, once a very strong group, now looks like a major question mark. If Carradine steps up his game, it will go a long way toward solidifying this unit.
Quinton Patton, Wide Receiver
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Quinton Patton was selected by the 49ers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but has had trouble staying on the field.
In two seasons with the 49ers, Patton has played in only 10 games. He has six receptions for 78 yards.
With the departure of Stevie Johnson, the 49ers are in need of a third wide receiver. The 49ers need Patton to stay healthy and seize that job.
2014 draftee Bruce Ellington and newly signed free agent Jerome Simpson, who has struggled with off-field problems, are Patton's only current competition for that third spot.
This is a golden opportunity for Patton and the time is now for him to take advantage.
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Michael Wilhoite, Linebacker
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Michael Wilhoite was a candidate to be released only a few weeks ago. Then came the surprising news that Patrick Willis was retiring.
The 49ers had a backup plan and were set to insert Chris Borland into Willis' inside linebacker spot. He led the 49ers in tackles with 107 this past year.
Then, in an even bigger surprise, Borland, citing concerns over the potential for head and brain trauma, also chose to retire. Borland discussed his decision with Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru on ESPN.com.
With Willis and Borland both retiring, along with the departure of Dan Skuta via free agency, the 49ers are now very thin at the linebacker position. Once a strength of the team, the linebacking corps, especially on the inside, has been weakened.
In addition, NaVorro Bowman is still a question mark after a devastating knee injury in the NFC title game following the 2013 season.
All of this means that Wilhoite is likely to play a much more prominent role at one of the inside linebacker positions this coming year.
Dontae Johnson, Cornerback
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In today's NFL, it is essential for a successful defense to have three very good cornerbacks, two decent ones and another couple of adequate reserves.
Heading into the 2015 season, the 49ers do not have a single proven cornerback that was not injured this past season.
Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox, who started a majority of the games, have both departed in free agency.
Several of the 49ers' other corners, Tramaine Brock, Jimmie Ward and Chris Cook, all suffered injuries and missed the bulk of the games. In addition, 2014 draftees Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker were injured and missed the entire year.
Dontae Johnson, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, saw limited action in his rookie season. However, due to injuries, Johnson started three games last year.
Johnson held his own for the most part, but will need to be even better in 2015. This will be a tough task as Johnson will now be counted on to play a big role this year.
All stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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