The 49ers Long Road Back to Contention

It’s midway through the current season and all hope appears to be lost for the San Francisco 49ers. With the current state of the franchise in disarray, let’s take a look at what the team needs to get back on the road to contention.

May 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during organized team activities at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

So the San Francisco 49ers are 1-7.

49ers

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Not what you expected? It’s certainly not what you had hoped for.

If you’ve officially given up on this season, it doesn’t make you a horrible fan. It means that you are coping with the misery and trying to turn the page.

At this point it’s wise to think of what the future could offer.

After eight games, there are just as many questions to answer as there were before the season started. In fact, there may be even more at this point.

Who is the leader of this team? Why is the run defense so horrible? And does the front office have any clue how to fix the franchise?

There are so many problems staring this team in the face. It’s tough to know where to start. One thing’s for sure, this team is in bad need of an overhaul. These types of problems usually begin with gutting the front office. But as a fan, a football lover and a supporter of this team, that’s completely out of your hands.

The 2016 NFL football season is half over. And though you’re a faithful fan, you have to be eyeballing the draft order at this point. It’s never easy to see your team go quietly into the darkness, but as a wise man once said, “There’s always next season.”

So let’s look to the future and focus on how to bring this team back to its winning ways.

Trent Baalke won the last front office power struggle. Is that a negative for the next head coach candidate? Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Say Goodbye to Trent Baalke

This isn’t a shocker or anything new. People have said this for years.

Why CEO Jed York is so insistent on keeping Trent Baalke at general manager is baffling to many. Maybe it’s because he was instrumental in building the Super Bowl XLVII roster. That great team that made you so proud to be a 49ers fan.

Now wait a minute. Before you go getting all misty-eyed about what used to be, let’s not forget that he was also the man responsible for driving that team into the ground like steel spike.

He refused to get into a bidding war with other teams to draw in free-agent talent. He’s refused to offer big contracts. He also said that you build a team through the draft. Well, after eight games and another failed attempt at the playoffs, it’s time for a new approach.

ICYMI, #49ers GM Trent Baalke hasn't exactly had the best of luck in Round 3 of any #NFLdraft. https://t.co/YRRSwsMYEt

— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) November 11, 2016

This team needs a general manager who will spend the money. Money that has been allocated for the needs of this team. If you burn the money and your free agents don’t pan out, that’s referred to as a miss, it’s a disappointing part of life. However, at least you took a shot and that’s still respectable. Holding the ball and refusing to throw it as time expires, will always be a worse option.

He had his chance to build a better team and failed miserably. When the roster was stocked with All-Pros, Baalke should have been planning for the future. Instead he chose to stock the team with injured players who would play at a discounted rate.

Though it seemed like a good idea, it has done nothing but malnourish the healthy body that was the San Francisco 49ers. Now the team has multiple holes, and adding one star player will not make a difference.

It’s time to look forward to the future, and that future doesn’t include Baalke.

Chip Kelly needs a new home

OK, so it’s only been eight games. And it feels like the team just hired and fired former head coach Jim Tomsula.

Some people probably feel that this is an unfair call because the majority of what’s wrong with this team is over Chip Kelly’s head.

However, if you factor in the future of this team then this is actually a pretty easy call. Coach Kelly was brought in to facilitate the needs of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The system was built for him. Kaepernick will thrive in Kelly’s system, this was believed to be true because Chip’s system is built for a mobile quarterback.

Trent Baalke, Chip Kelly on “collision course,” per report – Niners Nation https://t.co/oYQnNxWdXU

— SF 49ers Report (@SF49ers_report) November 7, 2016

It sounded logical, so why not? Now in hindsight, it was a huge miss just like Trent Baalke’s decision to stay out of the free-agent market.

Moving forward, anyone drafted that isn’t a dual threat won’t be a good fit in Kelly’s system. With that being said, the best reason to keep him around no longer applies.

It has also been recently reported that Coach Kelly and Baalke are not on good terms. And fans are fully aware of what happened to the last head coach that cracked heads with the current general manager.

He’s well on his way to a potential BCS Title.

October 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly (center) talks to quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium. The Buccaneers defeated the 49ers 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Find a pocket passer

This is not something that 49ers fans want to hear, but it’s time to put the pistol in the holster for good. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is just another case of something that used to work for the team, but is no longer a proven option.

Fans were more than excited to see his near-400 yard effort against New Orleans in Week 9. But one performance does not make you a contender, nor does it provide stability for the future of this team.

It’s time to find a leader because that man is not currently on the roster. They need someone who can stay in the pocket long enough to find the open receiver, perform effectively on third downs and score in the red zone.

The team can no longer afford to make excuses for the way that the offense performs. Kaepernick has not lost his ability to play, he’s lost his ability to play in San Francisco. He can still be an effective player on another team. But the longer he plays in Santa Clara and underperforms, he loses value.

Now’s the time to thank Kap for his services and say goodbye. The same goes for quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

San Francisco needs to draft who they believe is the starting quarterback of the future, or spend the money to bring in a proven young quarterback that can lead this team for many years to come.

Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) reacts with wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Establish a quarterback and receiver chemistry

When you think of great 49ers teams of the past, what do they all have a common?

They all had a reliable receiver that could make the big play. Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens all fit the mold of No. 1 receivers who could control the game.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith is a deep threat and a lot of fun to watch when he gets the ball. The only problem is that you need someone on the other side to draw the double team so that Smith can win in a one-on-one foot race to the end zone.

Since Trent Baalke’s promotion to general manager, the team has spent high on only one wide receiver. A.J. Jenkins was not only a huge miss, but it seems as though the brass is scared to pull the trigger on drafting another receiver in the first round.

Furthermore, when they do find their guy, they need to sign him to a long-term contract. This is crucial for the success of the offense because a quarterback needs to be able to trust his go-to guy. He needs to build a chemistry that is so good that it scares other teams into thinking that one defender is not enough.

This will not only stretch the field for the offense, but it will keep the defense guessing in terms of where the ball is going.

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a helmet, NFL shield, stage, and podium before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Draft the best player available

When you have as many holes to fill as the San Francisco 49ers do, you can draft the best player available in every round and never go wrong. Unless, of course, the best player available in every round is a center. Then you may need to modify that strategy just a bit.

The only area that seems to be loaded is the safety position. Other than that, there is a huge need across the board at depth in various positions and a need to push some of the starters into better play.

The coaches also need to figure out what they have and who is worth keeping.