5 Positions San Francisco 49ers Must Still Address Before 2015 Season
For some reason, the San Francisco 49ers didn’t take one cornerback or inside linebacker in the draft.
But they took a punter and two tight ends. Now they have two punters and eight tight ends. So the Niners have that going for them.
But they might have the worst group of cornerbacks and inside linebackers in the NFL. Their best cornerback—Tramaine Brock—missed 13 games due to injury last season. And their best inside linebacker—NaVorro Bowman—missed 16 games due to injury as well.
Behind them, the 49ers have a bunch of nobodies.
But those positions aren’t the only ones the Niners neglected in the draft. In ascending order, here are the top five positions the 49ers still must address before the season begins.
5. Kick Returner
1 of 5
Last season, Carlos Hyde returned 11 kicks and averaged 24.4 yards per return.
Next season, he will be the Niners' starting running back. And starting running backs rarely return kicks. The injury risk is too great.
That leaves Bruce Ellington as the only kick returner on the 49ers roster. And he’s pretty good. He averaged 25.6 yards per kick return last season—tied for sixth-best in the NFL.
But what if he gets hurt? Kick returners take huge hits. A team must have more than one kick returner.
Jarryd Hayne is currently the second kick returner on the 90-man roster, but there's no guarantee he will make the final 53. He has never played football. He was a Rugby League star before the 49ers signed him this offseason.
He might become a terrific kick returner. Or not. In case he doesn’t, the Niners should sign another returner to compete with him during training camp.
The Indianapolis Colts recently cut 31-year-old Josh Cribbs. Why not give him a non-guaranteed one-year deal? He averaged 32 yards per kick return last season.
4. Quarterback
2 of 5
If Colin Kaepernick suffers a season-ending injury, the 49ers’ season is over.
Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert cannot lead the 49ers to the playoffs like backup quarterback Drew Stanton led the Arizona Cardinals last season. Gabbert isn’t good enough.
Gabbert knows the 49ers playbook—that’s about all he has going for him. But he can’t execute the plays. Either he passes too soon or he passes off his back foot or he passes and ducks. He seems scared in the pocket.
It’s not too late to get a decent backup quarterback. The Niners can sign Terrelle Pryor for cheap. He fits the 49ers offense, and he’s better than Gabbert.
If the Niners feel like splurging, they can trade for a better backup quarterback. Mike Glennon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Zach Mettenberger of the Tennessee Titans should be available considering those teams drafted Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, respectively.
Niners general manager Trent Baalke should give those two teams a call.
3. Guard
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The San Francisco 49ers seem to hope Brandon Thomas can replace Mike Iupati at left guard.
And maybe Thomas can replace him. Maybe Thomas will be terrific. We don’t know. He has played zero downs in the NFL, and he’s coming off of a torn ACL.
What if he’s rusty? What if his knee doesn’t hold up? What if he’s just no good? Who is the 49ers' fallback option at left guard?
Erik Pears? They gave him a two-year deal this offseason, and he has played guard before. But he is no good, and he is especially ineffective as a run-blocker.
How can the Niners execute their power run game with a weak run-blocker at left guard? They probably can’t. They need better depth at that position.
Here are their options: sign a cheap veteran, like former Detroit Lions guard Rob Sims. Trade for an expensive All-Pro, like Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis. Or sign a young prospect, like former LSU guard La’el Collins.
Draft experts considered Collins a mid-first-round pick, but teams didn’t draft him because he was being questioned in the investigation of his ex-girlfriend's murder few days before the draft. As of now, he is not considered a suspect. If the 49ers believe Collins was not involved, they should sign him.
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2. Inside Linebacker
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When the offseason began, the 49ers may have had the best inside linebacker trio in the NFL—NaVorro Bowman, Patrick Willis and Chris Borland off the bench.
Now, the trio is Bowman, Michael Wilhoite and Philip Wheeler off the bench. Not a particularly good trio. Wheeler is a liability against the pass, Wilhoite is a liability against the run, and Bowman is coming off of a torn ACL and MCL.
All three are shaky.
The Niners could use a top talent to carry this position group while Bowman gets his feet under him. Luckily, a top talent is on the trading block. The Eagles are willing to trade 24-year-old inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Kendricks made 106 tackles in 2013.
1. Cornerback
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The starting cornerbacks might be pretty good. Tramaine Brock intercepted five passes in 2013, and former San Diego Chargers corner Shareece Wright started 14 games for a top-four pass defense in 2014.
The issue is the lack of depth.
The backups are Dontae Johnson and Chris Cook. Cook is injury-prone, and Johnson is a former fourth-round pick who mostly played safety in college.
Behind them are Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker—late-round picks in 2014 who spent their rookie seasons on injured reserve. They seem like prime candidates for the practice squad.
What will the 49ers defense do when the opposing offense sends four wide receivers to the huddle? How will the 49ers match up?
The Niners should consider trading for a veteran, someone like Terence Newman of the Minnesota Vikings, Rashean Mathis of the Detroit Lions, Corey Graham of the Buffalo Bills or Dre Kirkpatrick of the Cincinnati Bengals.
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