Why the 49ers Offense Will Be More Versatile and Unpredictable in 2015

It was all too predictable—that was the main criticism of the San Francisco 49ers offense in 2014, and it was well founded. In going 8-8 last season, the Niners rarely scared opposing defenses and averaged just 19.1 points per game; however, if their resources are used correctly, few teams will be able to second-guess San Francisco in 2015.

Heading into 2014, the 49ers looked to have the talent to enjoy an impressive offensive year. The receiving corps appeared strong following the move to re-sign Anquan Boldin and the free-agent acquisition of Stevie Johnson, giving the versatile and mobile Colin Kaepernick two more experienced targets to go with Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis.

Yet the offense never came close to delivering as expected. Boldin, Crabtree and Johnson proved too similar as a trio of possession receivers. Defenses did not respect San Francisco's deep threat—with an injury-hampered Davis providing almost no contribution—and were able to key in more consistently on the run game due to an offensive game plan that appeared to limit Kaepernick's opportunities to keep opponents on their toes with his flair for improvising with his legs.

Running back Frank Gore was restricted by the Niners' confusing desire to get away from the ground game and struggled as a result in what proved to be his final season. It was a recipe for disaster, and only the 49ers defense kept the team in the playoff hunt until Week 15, when San Francisco was eliminated from contention. 

After losing pieces such as Gore and Crabtree this offseason, the consensus has been that this will be another tough year for the Niners offense. Yet there is plenty to suggest 2015 could be a rebound year for a unit now led by Geep Chryst following Greg Roman's departure as offensive coordinator.

San Francisco's offense may not wow anybody on paper, but the decisions made by general manager Trent Baalke have put the team in a position to shed the "predictable" tag in the coming campaign.

There was great pressure on Baalke to bolster the Niners' group of receivers in the offseason, given the poor performance of the passing game last season and the exits of a number of players on the depth chart. Baalke only brought in one player who can contribute immediately—fourth-round draft pick DeAndre Smelter is likely to start the year on the PUP list—but the addition of Torrey Smith is one that has the possibility of giving the 49ers' aerial attack an added dimension.

Smith offers the Niners a deep-ball threat who does not generate consistent separation but is able to stretch the field, and he has a tendency to draw long pass-interference penalties. His presence on the offense should open things up underneath for the other pass-catchers on the team who will have more of an opportunity to shine, such as second-year player Bruce Ellington.

Ellington impressed in limited snaps in 2014, proving a solid return man and showing particular proficiency on reverses and short passes. He figures to be given more of a chance in his sophomore year and, with his speed, gives San Francisco a player capable of troubling defenses underneath and over the top. He also provides a change of pace to the experienced and physical Boldin, who wins predominantly with his route-running and in making contested grabs.

The 6'2" Jerome Simpson should serve as a decent complementary piece while Quinton Patton—whose skill set is similar to Boldin's—will be looking to make his mark for a receiving corps that appears to have a better variety of talent than in previous years. Combine that with a group of tight ends boosted by the presence of two draft picks and things really start to look promising for this offense.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press/Associated Press

After drafting Blake Bell and Rory Anderson, the Niners now have eight tight ends on the roster. Of course, it is likely that only half of that group will make the final 53-man team, but at the very least, the 49ers now have the benefit of a wealth of options to take the pressure off an aging Davis, who appeared to have lost some of his explosion in 2014.

Davis has not had a decent No. 2 tight end to take some of the attention away from him since Delanie Walker left the Niners in 2013. Vance McDonald has disappointed except for his blocking ability, which is also Garrett Celek's primary means of contribution to the offense.

Derek Carrier earned a two-year contract extension after showing flashes of promise last season; yet on the face of things, Anderson and Bell are more exciting options, although for very different reasons.

	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
Vernon Davis	26	245	2
Vance McDonald	2	30	0
Derek Carrier	9	105	0

Seventh-round pick Anderson is an extraordinary athlete with good play speed who can stretch the field down the seams and high-point the football due to his 6'5" and 244-pound frame. Concerns over the consistency of his hands and multiple triceps injuries meant it was not a surprise when he dropped to the last round; however, his athleticism is comparable to that of Davis when he came into the league, and he could be an extremely useful weapon for the 49ers.

Bell, who is a better bet to make the final roster, poses a different threat entirely.

Converted from quarterback to tight end, Bell stood out in his first year as a pass-catcher and, at 6'6" and 252 pounds, is difficult to stop after the catch. Bell, though, may take some time to develop at the position in the NFL and seems best suited as a short-yardage and red-zone option at this early stage in his career.

But the Belldozer could give San Francisco a different look in the backfield. Bell was extremely effective as a short-yardage runner during his time as a quarterback with Oklahoma, and for a 49ers team looking to dominate on the ground, it would be a mistake not to at least experiment with him in that role.

Although Bell could be tested as a secondary running quarterback, it is clear that one of the main focuses of the new 49ers regime will be to free Kaepernick of his shackles following a 2014 season in which, despite an increase in rushing attempts, San Francisco seemed intent on turning its signal-caller into a pocket passer.

Indeed, when asked about the prospect of unleashing Kaepernick by ESPN's Paul Gutierrez, head coach Jim Tomsula hinted the 49ers will return to an offensive game plan that will allow his players to "have fun" playing football.

Much will depend on how Kaepernick has improved as a passer on the back of an offseason spent working with Kurt Warner, but should he succeed in building a rapport with his new weapons—in particular, a field-stretcher such as Smith—defenses will have to respect the 49ers' aerial attack, potentially opening up more space for the former Nevada star to wreak havoc with his legs.

Years	Games	Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns
2012	13	63	415	5
2013	16	92	524	4
2014	16	104	639	1

The 49ers backfield was also boosted in the offseason; Reggie Bush came in as a free agent and Mike Davis was drafted in the fourth round. Carlos Hyde is set to take over the starting job, and Bush could have an impact as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and be effective in the screen game, which has been neglected by the Niners for far too long.

Fullbacks Bruce Miller and Trey Millard—the latter of whom has also shown proficiency as a runner—also excel as pass-catchers and offer Chryst the opportunity to create more issues for defenses from unexpected areas of the field.

San Francisco no longer has a group of receivers that is too similar and has added tight ends who can share the load with Vernon Davis. On the ground, Kaepernick, Bell, Hyde and Bush all have the ability to damage opposing defenses, yet it is Chryst who may have the biggest influence over whether this unit will be predictable in 2015.

Chryst did not have success with the San Diego Chargers, who ranked No. 28 and No. 26 in his two years as offensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000. But following his promotion from quarterbacks coach, he does have the benefit of an already well-established understanding of Kaepernick.

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press/Associated Press

In terms of devising an offensive system, Chryst's main brief is to ensure the Niners run the ball effectively, as they have done for so many years. Baalke indicated as much during Tomsula's introductory press conference, and with the quarterback they have at the helm and the depth on display at running back, the Niners possess the backfield needed to achieve that aim. 

San Francisco will be a running team for some time to come. Now, though, the 49ers have the pieces to make people respect their passing game both underneath and on deep routes, while players such as Bush, Ellington, Bell and Anderson give Chryst the opportunity to get creative and generate mismatches across the field.

The predominant problems with the Niners offense going into the new season are that it will be reliant on a high number of young players making quick strides in their development and a largely unproven offensive coordinator enjoying success in his first year on the job. That may not happen, but opposing teams need to watch out for a unit that has the tools for a more explosive passing game in 2015 and a variety of ways to hit in the mouth with the run.

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