When the 49ers began the season 0-9, their lack of success had The Faithful looking off toward next season as an escape from their current misery.
Now that the regular season is over, The Faithful is still looking toward next season, but with a renewed hope that their 49ers are bound for better things in the near future. Jimmy Garoppolo lived up to every expectation, leading his new team to a turnaround 6-10 season with a five-game winning streak, and the 49ers got a taste of what an offense led by Kyle Shanahan is capable of.
Nonetheless, there is still plenty of work left for the 49ers to do this offseason if they hope to compete as early as next year and they can learn from the Los Angeles Rams. Given how the youth of the Rams fared against the seasoned Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers should fill their holes with veteran free agents, adding experience to their roster that the their NFC West rivals lacked in the playoffs.
With an average age of 25.4 among their players, the Rams boasted the fourth-youngest team in 2017 and their 23-year-old quarterback Jared Goff was tied with the Chicago Bears’ Mitch Trubisky and Jameis Winston of Tampa Bay Buccaneers the as the second-youngest quarterback in the NFL. Nonetheless, they went 11-5 to clinch the NFC West after stumbling to a 4-12 showing last season.
Their bounce-back year was enough to earn the Rams a spot in the Wild Card game, where they were promptly handed a 26-13 defeat by Atlanta. Only six Rams had any playoff experience and aside from their 10-point second quarter, they were no match for the Falcons, who were last year’s NFC champions.
Meanwhile, the average age of the 49ers was 26.2 this season, just above the league average of 25.2, with their 26-year-old quarterback well below the roughly 30-years-old average at his position. If the 49ers want to see Garoppolo maintain the success he finished the season with, it would bode well for them to use the over $110 million they have in cap space to surround their budding star quarterback with experienced offensive pieces.
One position the 49ers could use an upgrade is running back and ironically, one of their best options has been in San Francisco his entire career. Now a four-year veteran, Carlos Hyde has been the 49ers’ starting running back for the past two years. He’s respected in the locker room, spent a year familiarizing himself with Shanahan’s offense and at 27-years-old, he’s a veteran that’s not contemplating retirement.
However, the 49ers know all too well Hyde’s history with injury and that could be a negative factor in whether they bring him back to San Francisco. Nonetheless, Hyde still presents the most promising option for a running back on the free agent market.
Another area the 49ers need buffing up is their offensive line, despite the strong protection left tackle Joe Staley and right tackle Trent Brown provided last season. It’s a category of this year’s free agent class that’s full of quality names; including center Weston Richburg and guard Justin Pugh. Just think of the damage Garoppolo could do with a little more time in the pocket.
It also wouldn’t hurt if the 49ers added another experienced wide receiver to their roster this offseason. Although neither have as much experience as nine-year veteran Pierre Garcon, two-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry and Alshon Jeffery are both young with at least four years of experience in the NFL. If Garoppolo made Garcon and Marquise Goodwin look good, can you imagine if the 49ers brought Landry or Jeffery to San Francisco?
Yet, a lead is only as good as the defense that keeps it intact and the 49ers could afford to sure up their pass rusher and cornerback positions.
Both DeMarcus Lawrence and the more experienced Ezekiel Ansah are at the end of their contracts and could be the solution to the 49ers’ defensive problems at pass rusher. With his potential, rookie Ahkello Witerspoon could benefit from a veteran cornerback, such as 2015 Pro Bowler Malcolm Butler or Trumaine Johnson, in the locker room to help move his development along. If the 49ers decide to not resign Dontae Johnson, that vacates a right cornerback position that either player could fill in.