Originally posted by dhp318:
Originally posted by 49ers81:
Sorry, have to disagree. They clearly were not in sync in that first game which I attribute to not having had a typical camp. I don't have the issues with Jimmy that a lot of people do so I will have to disagree on that point. It was tough losing Buckner but if Ford and Bosa are both healthy with the addition of Hyder and Kinlaw that unit is probably still pretty good. Alexander was moved midseason or so which moves Greenlaw into the starting line-up full time which is a plus. Kittle and Samuel were out most of the year and Ayiuk is an upgrade over Pettis and Goodwin and Verrett was better than just about anyone they had there last year. Richburg, Garland Brunskill all out at various times so that they are forced to start Skule at guard. No, I don't think I am the one with their head in the sand,
I never said the DL unit wasn't decent, I said it wasn't a position of supreme strength like it was last year when it dominated opposing offensive lines.
"if Ford and Bosa are both healthy"
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on...? The fact that fans cling onto hope that Ford is going to be healthy is just bizarre and the clearest example of fans just putting on their blinders.
It's nice to focus on the positives and all, but pointing out improvements means nothing. Teams have to get better at every position each year because football teams are constantly declining. For every addition there is subtraction, so you have to look at the bigger overall NET picture. In 2021, we will still be significantly worse than the 2019 team. The only positions I would expect to be better are the WR position, with the LB and TE position being about the same (2021 draft picks notwithstanding). Otherwise, the team is probably worse at every other position.
And you know this how? Aside from switching Buckner for Kinlaw, who may possess his own kind of strengths, how exactly is the team worse at every position. You don't even know who is going to be on the 2021 team yet. For the sake of argument let's say that Jimmy is still here, so the QB position remains the same. The question there is who the primary back-up will be. Beathard's a FA, Mullen's may be still recovering from surgery and Rosen is an unknown at this point. Given that their back-ups have won something like 9 games over the last three years it seems like just about anyone could be an upgrade there.
Juice has said he wants to stay and won't necessarily be making the decision on how much they are willing to pay him. Primary backs were Coleman, Breida and Mostert. Mostert will still be here, Wilson will probably still be here and Hasty will be here. Jury is out on whether Coleman and McKinnon return but even if they go I'm not sure the backs that remain would be a significant downgrade from 2019.
I will take a leap of faith and say that Richburg comes back along with Garland and Brunskill. I think Tomlinson is still under contract and McKivitz will have a year of experience under his belt and, hopefully as is the case with all of their rookies this year a full training camp not marred by a worldwide pandemic. They could very well draft someone who might be an upgrade at right guard. The big question mark is whether Williams will choose to stay. If he does then the line is at least no worse than it was in 19 and maybe slightly better.
I am not convinced Jordan Reed will stick around but if he does that unit is definitely better. And, as you noted, the receiving corps is better and might even be exceptional if Hurd comes back and fulfills some of that promise he has flashed.
The defensive line will be helped by Bosa's return and Kinlaw's added experience. The other questions to be answered relate to who will actually still be on the team. Ford may finally be healthy, and no, I'm not clinging onto anything in regard to Ford just saying that he will be a factor if he could actually get through a full season, but if not perhaps Hyder comes back. He would certainly be an upgrade over Ford if for no other reason than he has managed to stay on the field. Jones may go but he is another guy who seems to have missed more games than he has played so it may be his fate to move on to some other team where he will end up being a star. However in terms of actual production Givens is probably not much of a downgrade and they have Daniels as well. So that is an incomplete as compared with 2019, with a definite chance to be at least as good if everyone is healthy.
Warner and Greenlaw are probably one of the best LB combos in the league and Al-Shaair is a decent third so that unit is as good or better as 2019.
Sherman was terrific in 2019, but Verrett is a better corner at this stage of their careers so how that unit will compare will depend on whether or not they can bring him back. Ward will still be here but Tartt will probably be gone and people are free to argue whether or not Moore will be better or worse in that position. Moseley I think is a restricted free agent so there is a good chance he will return and Whitherspoon remains a question mark. He is pretty good when his head is on straight, he just can't seem to keep his confidence up. Williams is the best slot corner in the league so how that unit will compare to 2019 largely depends on whether he Verrett and Moseley return. If all three come back than that unit is probably as good or slightly better than 2019, with the elusive Tim Harris being another wild card. Is he even on the team anymore? Then of course the other wildcard is whether or not Saleh sticks around , doubtful I guess, and who takes over his spot and how that effects the overall play of the defense.
It is ridiculous to say that a team has to get "better at every position each year". It's a nice theory but in the age of salary caps and free agency it isn't really practical. Seems to me it's more of a question of recognizing your priorities and making sure you have the core group of guys you need and then work the rest of the roster around them to the best of your ability. Lynch and Shanahan's mantra has been that they are always looking to improve and I suspect they will make every effort to do so. So no, I don't agree at all that the team will be worse off next year. I don't imagine the team will be very active in the FA market with so many of their own guys they would like to bring back but I read somewhere that they may end up with as many as nine picks in the draft and could very well find some upgrades there. So no, I don't agree at all that the team will be worse off next year. If they can stay healthy I would expect them to be a very competitive team.