Dissecting the depth chart: Running Backs (including Fullbacks)

By Paul Kadwill

2014 Depth charts:

RB:  Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, LaMichael James, Alfonso Smith, Kendall Hunter*, Marcus Lattimore*

(*injured)

FB:  Bruce Miller

Signed through 2015:

Carlos Hyde, Kendall Hunter, Bruce Miller 

Frank Gore

16 games (16 starts), 255 attempts, 1106 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 4 touchdowns, 2 fumbles.

(Sacremento Bee)

What can you say about Frank Gore that hasn’t been said many times before by 49ers fans?  Already a legend around the club, Gore secured yet another 1000+ yard season during 2014, the eighth of his career, and did so with a very decent yards-per-carry average.  His touchdowns were down from previous years, but this was due mainly to playcalls and offensive line issues, not Gore himself.

The 49ers all-time leading rusher only added another 111 yards of receiving to his season tally, with a single receiving touchdown.  Although noticeably reduced from his receiving hey-day when he regularly gained around 400 receiving yards per season, this years total wasn't too much of a reduction compared to the previous three seasons where he gained 114, 234 and 141 yards respectively.

As ever, Frank Gores ability to pick up blitzing defenders and pass blocking in general were also massively important factors of his play during 2014, and cannot be over-emphasised or over-valued.  There isn't a back in the league that can come anywhere close to comparing to Gore in this aspect of play.

All of this adds up to the unmistakable fact that at the age of 31, when many running backs are well and truly past their prime, Frank Gore is actually still producing very highly.  Throughout the years, as offensive schemes have come and gone, quarterbacks and offensive lines have waxed and waned, the one true constant for the 49ers has been the outstanding output of their diminutive running back.  

Frank still has gas left in the tank.

Carlos Hyde

14 games (0 starts), 83 attempts, 333 yards, 4.0 yards per carry, 4 touchdowns, 1 fumble.

(USA Today)

Following a dominant college career for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Carlos Hyde was selected with the 57th overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft, by the San Francisco 49ers.

With a season ending injury to Kendall Hunter, a career cut short for Marcus Lattimore and the self inflicted demise of LaMichael James, Hyde found himself as the primary backup to Frank Gore at the start of the season, without ever having played a regular season snap.  He adhered himself to the Faithful during the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, when he rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown in the eye-catching win that started off the 2014 season.

Finishing the season with the same number of touchdowns as his mentor Frank Gore, the self-named ‘El Guapo’ had a successful rookie campaign for the 49ers.

With several eye-catching plays worthy of the teams highlight reel, Hyde has given himself a good chance to become the starter for the 2015 season.  However, aside from the flashes of burst and power that wowed fans and pundits alike, Hyde did have a tendency to shy away from the north-south type of rush plays that is required of a starter, and instead opted to bounce his rushing to the outside of the offensive line on many occasions.  This is often seen with smaller running backs in the league who naturally tend to shy away from the carnage of the trenches, but Hyde is not a small back!  He will need to take further coaching from Tom Rathman in order to become less hesitant and less reliant on off-tackle runs, as well as improving his receiving and pass-blocking abilities, all of which are done to elite levels by Frank Gore.  That being said, it appears only a matter of time before Carlos Hyde becomes the starting running back for the 49ers.

LaMichael James

1 game (0 starts), 2 attempts, 0 yards, 0.0 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns, 0 fumbles.

After openly expressing his displeasure at having such a small role on the team, James was able to force the 49ers to release him on September 8th 2014, after just one game for the team in 2014.  After three weeks of inaction, James was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad, later being promoted to the full roster in November, appearing in two games and rushing for nine yards in total.

I doubt that James will ever reach his full potential in the NFL and will more than likely fade into the background without ever having made an impact.  This is a huge shame for an electric player who wowed the footballing nation whilst at college.

Alfonso Smith

6 games (0 starts), 7 attempts, 19 yards, 2.7 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns, 0 fumbles.

After signing with the 49ers during the preseason, Alfonso Smith was amongst the final cuts during August as the team trimmed down to their final 53-man roster.  With the losses of LaMichael James and then the retirement of Marcus Lattimore, San Francisco found themselves down to two healthy running backs and so in November, Smith was resigned to take up the third position of the depth chart as well as to bolster the Special Teams unit.

He suited up for six games and saw action primarily on Special Teams, aside from a scant few rushing attempts for the 49ers Offense.

Kendall Hunter

0 games.

2014 was supposed to be the year of Kendall Hunter.  After proving himself to be an excellent backup to Frank Gore in his first three seasons, whereby he averaged 4.6 yards per carry (9th best of all running backs with 200+ carries since 2011), it was hoped that Kendall would slowly see more time on the field as the transition from Frank Gore to his replacement occurred.  This plan was cut short in an horrific way before the season had ever begun, when Hunter tore his ACL during training camp.

After being placed on IR, the future for Kendall Hunter was looking bleak.  

Following other adversities within the running back depth chart however, the 49ers decided to sign Hunter to a contract extension which will bring the former Oklahoma State Cowboy back into training camp for the 2015 season.  He figures to be well placed in becoming the second or third-string running back going forward.

Marcus Lattimore

0 games.

A heartbreaking story for many throughout football, Lattimore failed in his attempt to come back from tearing the ACL, MCL and PCL ligaments in his right knee and dislocating his kneecap, which occurred during a college game in 2012.  

Arguably one of the most electrifying players in college football history, Lattimore was chosen by the 49ers during the 2013 NFL draft, in the hopes that his rehabilitation would be successful and he could go on to use his unmistakable talents in the league.  It proved to be too much to come back from however, and after sitting out the 2013 season and part of 2014, Lattimore took the decision to retire on November 8th 2014, without ever having played a competitive snap in the NFL.

Bruce Miller

16 games (8 starts), 6 attempts, 9 yards, 1.5 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns, 1 fumble.

An intriguing 7th round selection during the 2011 draft, Bruce Miller switched positions from defensive end to fullback and has never looked back since day one.  He continues to provide astounding lead blocking duties for Frank Gore and the rest of the 49er running backs, but his value doesn’t just stop with the traditional fullback role.  Miller has become a very useful receiving target for Colin Kaepernick and is often seen barreling his way through defenders for extra yardage.  2014 saw his yards-per-catch total rise to 10.5YPC for the season, up noticeably from 2013 (9.7YPC), whilst he also scored two receiving touchdowns during the most recent season, his first since his 2011 rookie campaign.

The one area of his game that he does need to work on, is the running game.  Granted, he is only ever really called upon in short yardage or goal line situations, nevertheless Miller must learn to use his strength more effectively and to seek out the gaps in the line of scrimmage with which to penetrate.  Coming from an entirely defensive background in college, it is perhaps not at all surprising that he is weakest in this area of the game.  Still, it would be extremely valuable for the team to be able to rely upon their fullback to pick up the tough yards on 3rd and short and goal line situations, similar to the way Green Bay can call upon John Kuhn to fulfill such requirements.

Looking ahead

In terms of the fullback position, one would assume that Bruce Miller will once again be the starter.  However, the 49ers picked arguably the best fullback in the 2014 draft, Trey Millard, who spent the year on the the injury list.  He will be back for training camp and looking to make an impact with the hopes of breaking into the roster, probably on Special Teams, before making a push to become the starter in future years.  Both Miller and Millard are signed until 2018.

The running back position is one of the sections of the 49ers depth chart that has the most question marks surrounding it.  For a position that has had the luxury of having Frank Gore occupy it for so many years, the team are now at a crossroads with regards to his future with them.  It is one of the most commonly accepted facts of life in the NFL that running backs wear out, and often with dramatic speed.  An elite player one year may be just a shell of his former self the next.  Many teams automatically assume that a running back will need replacing by the age of thirty.  Frank Gore is thirty-one.

What stands Gore out from the crowd however, is his consistency.  We have seen no fall from grace yet from the player, in fact he has maintained a consistently high performance level throughout his career, and although he may have begun to lose that burst of speed (not that he ever really had breakaway speed to begin with), he more than makes up for it with intelligence, patience behind blockers, evasion and other facets of his game.  One of those extras is his ability to pass block.  I cannot think of a single running back in history that has been as effective, or a willing to throw his entire self into a block, as Gore does during every game.

Perhaps the most influential factor in the decision of whether to bring Gore back or not, is Carlos Hyde.  Do the front office feel comfortable with handing the reins over to a player who has only been in the league for a solitary year?  It is obvious that Hyde is the 49er back for the future, but is the future now? 

If the choice was down to me, I would bring Frank Gore back for another season at least, and gradually work Carlos Hyde into the game more often as each week passes.  I honestly believe that Hyde will become a far better running back if he can learn from the best, Frank Gore, for at least one more season. However, considering the team are in rebuilding mode (even if they won’t admit it), they may decide that Hyde is better off learning through experience whilst at the same time saving the extra money that Gore would have taken up.  

The financial factor is definitely going to play a part in this offseason, even if not in this particular case, because the team are under more pressure from the salary cap than they have been for several years.  They will need to free up enough space for draft signings and any others they may want to make, and the only way to do this is if they release, trade or restructure the contracts of existing players.  Some big ticket players will be on their way out, most of whom will not be a surprise (Brooks), but one or two will be.

I believe that these economic strains will have the biggest impact upon the decision to keep Gore or not, even if the fanbase are in favour of keeping Frank at the club for his entire career.  Money talks.

One advantage that we do have in this scenario though: Frank Gore is a career 49er and I am confident that at this stage in his career, he is not motivated by money. Therefore, he may be willing to give the 49ers a home team discount, thus improving his chances of a return.

So, if Gore stays, then the depth chart is pretty much set:  Gore, Hyde, Hunter.  Arguably the strongest 1-2-3 the team has had at running back for many years.

If Gore is allowed to sign elsewhere, then things change quite massively.  Hyde would of course become the starter, then presumably Hunter would be his backup, but after that it is anybodys guess.  A veteran on league-minimum as the third back, or a rookie from the draft?  Only time will tell.

It is believed that Jim Tomsula wants to focus more on the running game for the upcoming season, so it would be fairly logical to predict that he will be looking to bolster the depleted running back position in some way.  We just don’t know how.

For a team that only twelve months ago had a seemingly overflowing cup at this position, it is humbling to see just how quickly a position can change.  One thing is for sure though:  Things will definitely be changing one way or another within the running back roster before the first snap of 2015.

Photograph references:

Sacremento Bee, 'Frank Gore', viewed online 29 January 2015, <http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/cbfaco/picture5111178/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/1229FRANKGORE%20(2).JPG >

USA Today, 'Carlos Hye', viewed online 29 January 2015, <https://usatfantasy.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/carlos-hyde-san-francisco-49ers_20141123-e1417795750823.jpg?w=1000 >

Perspective needed at the end of a poorly, planned coaching search

The 49ers' quest to fill out their coaching staff for the 2015 season is almost at a close following the reported hiring of Geep Chryst as offensive co-ordinator, an appointment that appears to have sparked further pessimism among a fanbase left bemused by the way management have handled matters so far in the offseason.

Chryst had been kept on the staff in an unspecified role since Jim Tomsula was hired as head coach and, after previously serving as San Francisco's quarterbacks coach, seems to have been a fall-back option for a franchise unable to acquire its top targets.

Few will be inspired by Chryst being given the reins to an offense that struggled markedly in 2014 and many will consider the decision to be another sign that this team is set for a significant downturn. However, it is way too early to make such an assessment at this point, so let's take a look at the complete coaching staff as it stands at the moment to get a clearer picture of where the 49ers stand.

Head Coach: Jim Tomsula - We've heard all the negatives about the promotion from defensive line coach and his lack of head coaching experience, but the main question over Tomsula surrounds whether his undoubted motivation skills and likeability will be enough to get results. The general consensus is that the players were excited for coach Tomsula, now his task is to get them to execute consistently.

Offensive Co-ordinator: Geep Chryst - I and most others labelled the offensive co-ordinator position as the most important hire of the offseason. The 49ers have hardly hit a home run here with Chryst, who looks to have been turned to after San Francisco missed out on the likes of Adam Gase and Rob Chudzinski. Chryst struggled with a dreadful San Diego Chargers team in his only other OC stint, but does at least have the advantage of familiarity with Colin Kaepernick and the terminology of the offense.

Quarterbacks: Steve Logan - Logan has already taken a bit of heat for a quote in which he indicated he would take a mobile quarterback over an accurate one. His words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion and Logan - despite being out of football for three years - has masses of experience coaching quarterbacks including David Garrard and Matt Ryan, who won the Golden Arm award for outstanding senior quarterback at Boston College under Logan's tutelage. Logan also is very familiar with Tomsula having served as his offensive co-ordinator at the Rhein Fire in 2006.

Offensive line: Chris Foerster - Foerster returns to his old post as the 49ers' O-Line coach after being replaced by Mike Solari in 2010. Said to be skilled at coaching stretch-running schemes, Foerster will be assisted by Eric Wolford.

Tight Ends: Tony Sparano - Sparano is the closest the 49ers have come to a home-run hire. A passionate and highly experienced coach who went close to getting the Oakland Raiders head job on a full-time basis before it was given to Jack Del Rio. Sparano helped reinvigorate the Raiders following the firing of Dennis Allen and was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2011. He also has worked with tight ends and offensive linemen for multiple teams and should prove an extremely useful voice to have on the sideline.

Wide receivers: Unknown

Running backs: Tom Rathman - The 49ers legend stays on and will continue to aid the development of Carlos Hyde and coach Kendall Hunter and hopefully Frank Gore. A big boost for an extremely talented backfield.

Defensive Co-ordinator: Eric Mangini - Another hire that was met with little fanfare. Mangini served as tight ends coach for the Niners last season but built his reputation as a defensive assistant with the New England Patriots, becoming the co-ordinator on that side of the ball before taking over as head coach of the New York Jets and later the Cleveland Browns. Despite the disappointment surrounding Vic Fangio's exit, Mangini knows defense and there is no reason to expect the unit to struggle under his stewardship.

Defensive line: Unknown.

Linebackers: Jason Tarver - Tarver, who left his role as outside linebackers coach with the 49ers in 2010, returns after time spent as the defensive co-ordinator with Stanford and the Raiders. He is expected to have some input in terms of play-calling and Tarver's familiarity with the franchise and the job he did with a young Raiders defense that improved last season make this a relatively strong hire.

Secondary: Unknown.

Special Teams Co-ordinator: Thomas McGaughey - Another coach who worked alongside Tomsula in NFL Europe, McGaughey comes over after holding the same role with the Jets prior to Rex Ryan's departure. McGaughey also coached special teams at LSU.

With the 49ers apparently unable to lure their top targets to Santa Clara, there has been much pessimism surrounding this coaching staff, and perhaps some of it is unwarranted. There is plenty of experience on board in the likes of Sparano and Mangini and, with many of the coaches having previously worked with the 49ers or alongside Tomsula in NFL Europe, there should be a strong chemistry in the group.

For me, Chryst stands as the main questionable hire but, although the importance of the offensive co-ordinator hire has been constantly emphasised since Tomsula's appointment, it remains to be seen how significant this move will be for a 49ers team seemingly set to put the focus back on running the ball.

The negativity will continue to reign, though, as on paper this staff looks to be a downgrade on what the 49ers already had in place. Yet, looking at the careers of the coaches hired by the Niners, what needs to be recognised is that San Francisco have brought in guys with a lot of experience - I'm aware of used that word a few times now - at the positions they have been employed to coach.

San Francisco's approach to filling out their staff has been poorly planned. That much has been evidenced by the hires of Chryst and Mangini, who himself looks to have been something of a second option after the Cincinnati Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph was blocked from interviewing with the Niners.

However, that does not mean the 49ers have assembled a bad staff. To the contrary, I feel they have hired a solid group of coaches that should be able to get something out of an extremely talented roster.

On defense I expect no downturn with a respected mind like Mangini at the helm. The big concern surrounds Chryst and the offense. The hire is underwhelming, but for now the best thing is for 49er fans to take a bit of stock and give this overall decent staff the chance to prove themselves with an excellent group of players.

Dissecting the depth chart: Inside Linebackers

By Paul Kadwill

2014 Depth chart

Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Desmond Bishop
Navorro Bowman*, Michael Wilhoite, Nick Moody, Chase Thomas
*Injured all season

Signed through 2015:  Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Chris Borland, Nick Moody, Chase Thomas.

Free agents:  Michael Wilhoite, Desmond Bishop.



Patrick Willis
6 games (6 started), 29 tackles, 5 assists, 3 passes defended, 1 interception

2014 saw Willis suffer his first significant loss of playing time through injury, as he finally succumbed to a toe injury that had hampered his 2014 campaign and was placed on Injured Reserve after just six games.
For a player who had been selected to every Pro Bowl since coming into the league in 2007 and had only missed six games in his career up until this season, finishing 2014 so early came as a surprise to the player and the fanbase alike.
Willis had, in fact, been playing through the injury all year but took medical advice from the team and opted for surgery in order to eradicate the niggling issue.  This should ensure that in terms of this injury at least, Willis will be able to come back in 2015 and play as hard as he always has.
During his six games, Patrick played at his usual high level even with the injury, which is a credit to the his efforts.
With the onslaught of injuries that the team suffered from during 2014, it was perhaps best that his season was shut down early as it became more apparent that a return to the playoffs was looking far less likely.

(Bleacher Report, 2015)

Navorro Bowman
0 games started.

After the horrifying injury that Navorro Bowman sustained during the 2013 playoffs, it was known very early on that the other member of the best linebacking tandem in the league would not be present on the field for much, if not all of 2014.  Bowmans rehabilitation went well for the most part, but it did stall towards the end as fans waited with baited breath to hear when #53 would return to a depleted defense.  He was activated off of the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list early on in December, but was placed on IR less than a week later, without ever suiting up.
He should be at full health by the time that the 2015 training camp begins.



Chris Borland
14 games (8 started), 84 tackles, 23 assists, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery.

(CBS Sacremento, 2015)

Drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft, Chris Borland came to the 49ers as a player who had been noted for having a knack for finding the ball, but perhaps was a little too slow and undersized to make a huge impact in the NFL.  How wrong those experts were!
During the fourteen games that he appeared in, Borland racked up the most tackles of any player on the 49ers roster and proved to have superb run stopping abilities as well as coverage skills.  With both Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman being lost for the season, it was a much needed surprise to find a rookie stepping up and playing at the same level as his two Pro-Bowl calibre teammates.
An ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks in week 15 put an end to his sparkling rookie season and any hopes of securing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but silverware aside, 2014 had already been a rookie year for the ages from the former Wisconsin Badger.
With the departure of Vic Fangio and the majority of the defensive staff from the 49ers, sources from within the organisation have revealed that the team will most likely be switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense.  This means that we will be seeing Willis, Bowman and Borland on the field at the same time during the 2015 season.  This decision to alter the fundamental layout of the defense was in no small part due to Borland.
With a 21.3% run-stop percentage, the best of ANY inside linebacker with 200+ run snaps since PFF began tracking this statistic in 2007, alongside his other talents, its not hard to see why he has forced management to consider and adopt a different scheme.  Quite simply, he must be on the field next season.




Michael Wilhoite
16 games (16 starts), 67 tackles, 20 assists, 2 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble.

(Daily Republic, 2015)

After appearing in every game of 2013, Wilhoite was the obvious choice to step up into the starting role vacated by the injured Navorro Bowman.  He was the only inside linebacker to play in all 16 games of the 2014 season.
Whilst he may not have been as spectacular as Borland, WIlhoite still posted the third most tackles on the 49ers roster and gave a courageous effort all season to step into the All-Pro shoes of the injured Navorro Bowman.  The defense did not miss a beat even though Wilhoite had only started two games previous to this season, as the ex-Omaha Nighthawk flashed plenty of ability in covering receivers and a nose for the ball in general.
Wilhoite is an ERFA (Exclusive Rights Free Agent) meaning that the 49ers can offer a veterans minimum contract to him and he only has the choice of signing it or leaving the league.  This is because he only has 2 years of NFL experience.  Therefore, expect to see him back next year.



Nick Moody
16 games (2 starts), 16 tackles, 5 assists.

The 2013 sixth-round draft pick was pressed into a starting role for the final two games of the season, after the injury to Chris Borland occurred.  The majority of his season however, was spent on Special Teams assignments.
The most famous, or rather, infamous, play of his career so far, occurred against the Seattle Seahawks during week 15.  Blitzing from his linebacker position, Moody came upon Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and unleashed a hard, but entirely legal hit as he brought the QB down for a sack.  However, the officials flagged Moody for a roughing-the-passer penalty, which ultimately led to a Seattle touchdown instead of forcing them to take a field goal attempt.  The ‘Hawks went on to win the game 17-7, with Moodys controversially flagged hit being pivotal in the hugely important game.
Moody will be under a certain amount of pressure in training camp from guys like Chase Thomas and any other linebackers that are drafted or signed this year, for one of the backup roles on the 2015 roster.  At the moment, he will be pencilled in to be one of the main backups at the linebacker position.



Chase Thomas
5 games (0 starts), 3 tackles.

Since he came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent for the New Orleans Saints in 2013, Chase Thomas has graced the practice squads of several teams before he landed with the 49ers.
Thomas spent the first 9 games on the practice squad before being promoted during week 10 to provide cover for the ailing 49ers linebacker group.
Being utilised solely on special teams, Thomas accumulated three tackles in the five games that he featured in, as well as a sole return attempt for 8 yards.
The former Stanford Cardinal standout found himself at the centre of a small controversy late on in the season, as the coaching staff and front office battled to control the depth chart when Borland went onto the IR.  After being successful under Coach Harbaugh at Stanford, Thomas was the natural choice to be promoted to the backup linebacker position that had been created when the existing backup, Nick Moody, was called upon to start.  Trent Baalke and the front office had other plans however, overruling Harbaugh and instead signing veteran linebacker Desmond Bishop to backup the position on gameday.
Thomas will no doubt compete with Nick Moody for a primary backup role for the 2015 season.



Desmond Bishop
2 games (0 starts), 2 tackles.

As mentioned before, Bishop was signed late on in the season to be a backup linebacker for the 49ers, as well as having a role on special teams once ST stud Kassim Osgood was sent onto the IR.
Both of Bishops tackles came in his first game for the 49ers, a week 16 matchup with the San Diego Chargers.
Desmond Bishop will probably not feature in the future plans of the 49ers, after being released at the end of the 2014 season when his contract expired.


Looking ahead

Overall, the San Francisco 49ers are in an admirable position when it comes to inside linebackers.  Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman are perennial Pro Bowlers, whilst Chris Borland seems destined to join them if he continues to play at the elite level seen from him in 2014.  Very few teams around the league have such a wealth of starting talent at this position.
Being an ERFA, it is highly likely that the 49ers will resign Michael Wilhoite as a primary backup.  Thus, we shall probably see Moody and Thomas as the two main players who will be battling for the other backup roles at the inside linebacker position, unless the team finds another gem in the draft (possible) or spends money on a veteran (unlikely).



Photograph references

"Bowman_Willis", Bleacher Report, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1678714-san-francisco-49ers-why-patrick-willis-and-navorro-bowman-are-a-special-tandem >

"Borland", CBS Sacremento, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/11/26/seahawks-head-coach-carroll-praises-49ers-rookies/ >

"Wilhoite", Daily Republic, viewed 23 January 2015, <http://www.dailyrepublic.com/media-post/photo-niners-7/attachment/michael-wilhoite-larry-fitzgerald/ >

Tomsula a sentimental hire, but staff hires key to his success

There is a lot to like about the 49ers' decision to hire Jim Tomsula as head coach.

By now we all know the narrative of a guy that worked his way from up from nothing, coaching at tiny schools, sleeping in his car and honing his craft in NFL Europe before impressing enough as a position coach with San Francisco to become the 19th  head coach of one of the league's most storied franchises.

That's why I and many to give him a pass despite his clear lack of experience as a head coach. This is a guy that you want to root for and therefore it was fine that a clearly nervous Tomsula floundered his way through his introductory press conference. If anything it furthered the narrative, Tomsula is your typical blue-collar man that has worked tirelessly to reach this point, why wouldn't he be nervous at this point?

The 49ers are not out 'to win the press conference' in the now infamous words of CEO Jed York, although general manager Trent Baalke did a pretty damn good job of doing so as Tomsula struggled and York did little to improve a public image that has deteriorated since the dreadful Thanksgiving loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

But Tomsula's performance in the press conference has done little to pacify the many, many doubters he has. Those in attendance expressed their bewilderment at the strange atmosphere in the room, and the Niners now face a challenge to lift the air of negativity.

It is a task that may prove tough do given the staff that have been let go as a result of Tomusla's appointment. Defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio is now looking for work along with secondary coach Ed Donatell, while offensive line coach Mike Solari seems poised to link up with former San Francisco offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman at the Buffalo Bills.

How the Niners replace those key assistants will be pivotal to how the team is perceived going into the 2015 season. Their interest in Jason Tarver as defensive co-ordinator is hardly likely to inspire after he struggled to put together a competitive defense across the bay in Oakland.

Still, the 49er defense has the personnel to succeed regardless of who takes up the co-ordinator role. Instead it is on offense where the Niners need a strong hire.

Mike Shanahan is thought to be in the running for an offensive co-ordinator role he last held 20 years ago when the Niners last won the Super Bowl, and former Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski is viewed as a front-runner for the position.

It is not surprising to see Chudzinski - who works a special assistant for the Indianapolis Colts - regarded as a favourite given that he worked with Niners' running back Frank Gore during his time as offensive co-ordinator at the University of Miami.

Baalke has declared the 49ers' intention to run the ball in 2015, words that will have been music to the ears of fans frustrated by the inconsistent play-calling of this past season. Bringing Chudzinski in would seem to be a good way of keeping Gore, their best exponent of the run game, around for at least one more season.

Chudzinski also has experience working with dual-threat quarterbacks having done so with Cam Newton in Carolina, and is also seen as something of a magician with tight ends. All those traits should appeal to the 49ers following their struggles on offense in 2014, however, they will have to wait until the Colts are out of the playoffs to talk to Chudzinski.

It is fair to assume that the 49ers' staff will quickly begin to take shape in the coming weeks. Chudzinski may not be the guy on offense but if player and management favourite Tomsula is to be successful going forward, then the Niners need to employ staff on both sides of the ball to ensure his promotion to the top job results in success.

Dissecting the depth chart: Quarterbacks

By Paul Kadwill

This is the first installment of a new series which will look at a different position each week as we lead up to the 2015 NFL draft.  We will analyse the performance of each player and look ahead to the new season with an eye on who will still be on the roster and where any gaps are that will need to be filled.

This week the spotlight falls upon the quarterback position.


Quarterbacks

2014 depth chart: C. Kaepernick, B. Gabbert, J. Johnson, M. Bethel-Thompson/K.Faulkner

Signed through 2015: Colin Kaepernick


2014 Starter:  Colin Kaepernick
60.5% passing completion (289/478), 3369 yards, 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 51 sacks, NFL  rating:  86.4

(Ninerfans.com)

The 2014 NFL season was the second full season as a starting quarterback for Colin Kaepernick.
After initially shocking the NFL with raw speed and athleticism in his first seasons with the 49ers, defenses around the league gradually began catching up with the unique talents of Colin during 2012 and particulalry in 2013.  The 2014 season was going to be an important one to gauge the development of Kaepernick as a bona fide, NFL-equipped starting quarterback.
Working within an offense that prioritised a smash-mouth style running game, the quarterback position was called upon less to carry the team, which suited Kaepernick as he took time to adjust to the pros.  Coming out of college he drew criticism from the media about his lack of ‘classic’ quarterback ability: reading defenses, scanning the field, dropping back and passing in the pocket.  After a full 2013 season under center, 2014 was expected to be the year where we saw Kaepernick mature into the all-round quarterback that the front office had envisioned when they traded up in the second round of the 2011 draft to capture him.

Whilst several areas of his game statistically improved, such as throwing for more yardage and having a better completion percentage, it was abundantly clear throughout 2014 that #7 was not ready to be labelled a complete quarterback just yet.  Kapernick threw less touchdowns, had more interceptions and succumbed to a career-high 51 sacks during the season.
His ability to make the necessary progressions through receivers was improved over 2013 but far from perfect.  He would often become fixed upon one receiver and completely miss a wide open colleague.
There was a conscious decision, whether from the head coach, offensive coordinator or Colin himself, to rely less upon Kaepernicks improvised runs during 2014 and even the planned quarterback runs were used less.  This, matched with his struggles to find open receivers and a chronic injury problem throughout the entire offensive line, lead to the alarmingly high number of sacks that Kaepernick endured.  The offensive line issues were also partly to blame for his passing issues, as Kaepernick often had less that two seconds to scan the field and make a decision, before he was confronted by defensive players.
Oddly, the team decided to somewhat move away from its natural offensive prowess that was, and still is, its running game.  This meant more opportunities for Colin to throw passes, but perhaps it was not the best situation for a quarterback who is at his best when the opposition are unbalanced and generally expecting the run.  With many games seeing a marked reduction in the number and effectiveness of carries, Colin was under more pressure to produce than he had ever been.
Put simply:  I believe he was asked to ‘run before he could walk’.  Although he had made improvements coming into 2014, he was not at a point where he could take over being the main focus of the offense, and I believe the coaching staff made a huge error continuing to stick with the belief that he was ready for the full responsibility.
The good news is however, that he still has all of the talents that lead to him being highly coveted coming into the league, he is still young (27 years old) and the issues he is having can be coached and improved upon.
It will be very interesting to see how Kaepernick progresses during this offseason, as he comes under the tutelage of Kurt Warner.  There is also speculation that his 11-week training program with Warner, which started this weekend (9th January), also includes stints with Steve Young.  The famous 49er southpaw may well be the best suited NFL legend to lend his experience to Kaepernick, as both have similar traits and have had to deal with similar issues during their early professional careers.




2014 2nd-string Quarterback:  Blaine Gabbert
42.9% passing completion (3/7), 38 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks, NFL  rating:  100.0

(Jacksonville.com)

Traded in March 2014 to San Francisco for a 6th round pick, Gabbert served as backup to Colin Kaepernick for the entire season.  The ex-Jaguar came into the game against Denver during week 7, completing three passes which included one for a touchdown. His brief cameo in that game was his only experience during the regular season.  Before that, Gabbert had posted underwhelming statistics whilst appearing in all four preseason games:  46.8% passing completion, 186 yards (4 yards per completion), 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a 54.0 NFL rating.
Whilst his acquisition was met with some resistance by the fanbase, probably because of Gabberts lack of success at Jacksonville, it was perhaps a little harsh on a player who is still trying to find his way in the league.  For such a low draft pick that San Francisco gave his former team, it was always worth taking a risk with Gabbert who entered the league as a top 10 pick in the same 2011 draft as Colin Kaepernick.
Gabbert is now an unrestricted free agent and is likely to test the waters to see if anyone in the league is keen on having him as a starting quarterback.  Chances are though, that he will remain a backup until he has proven himself on the field.  So, with a year of experience within the 49ers organisation, it would not surprise me if the team made a move to re-sign him as a backup, albeit at a much more reduced salary in alignment with what other backups in the league command.



2014 3rd-string and beyond:

Josh Johnson:

(SFgate.com)

The 6-foot-3 native Californian once again spent time on the 49ers roster during 2014.  After beginning his pro career with Tampa Bay, Johnsons first stint with San Francisco came in 2012 as he hooked up with his former college head coach, Jim Harbaugh.  After spending the entire offseason with the team, Josh was a victim during the final roster cuts of August 2012.  After spending time with the Browns and Bengals, he was signed once again by the 49ers in May 2014.  During the regular season Johnson was one of several players who were continually cut and resigned as the front office juggled the 53-man roster to meet the teams needs.
Obviously with such a long association with Jim Harbaugh, who has since departed the team, there probably is little chance of Johnson being brought back in by the 49ers for the 2015 season.  However, with a similar build and skill-set to Colin Kaepernick, Johnson always seemed to be a good fit for the team, so he may just squeeze onto the roster for training camp and preseason, in an attempt to make the team as the primary backup quarterback.  Again though, with very little footage of him in the red and gold, its virtually impossible to pass any kind of judgement on his play or ability.


McLeod Bethel-Thompson:

Another bay area native, McLeod Bethel-Thompson spent another period of time with the 49ers during 2014.  Originally joining the side in 2011 where he was expected to land the third-string QB role, Thompson was cut and then spent time with several other clubs.
During the 2013 season Bethel-Thompson was assigned onto the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings.  On October the 9th, San Francisco claimed him off of waivers and signed him onto the 53 man squad, where he spent several weeks.  Then, in late November the player was cut and signed onto the 49ers practice squad, where he remained for the rest of the season.  After signing a reserves/future contract, McLeod was back on the training ground throughout the offseason, until succumbing to the roster cuts towards the start of the 2014 season.  Only ever seen as a ‘camp arm’, it is doubtful that Bethel-Thompson will be back again this year, unless its in a similar, minor role.


Kory Faulkner:

The former Southern Illinois Saluki was signed as an undrafted free agent after the completion of the 2014 draft.  At 6’ 4” and 227lb, Faulkner was another ‘Kaepernick-esque’ athlete that the team hoped to mold into a useful player, probably via the practice squad.  After receiving some praise from Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh during training camp, Faulkner was cut on July 29th 2014.




Looking ahead 

So, the 49ers only currently have Colin Kaepernick under contract for this year.  What are their options now?
Aside from the obvious need of at least two more passers for the depth chart, momentum is gaining throughout media and fan circiles that the team should sign a backup quarterback that can at least put some pressure on Kaepernick to perform at a higher level.  Although he has shown a great level of commitment to his offseason training programs, it is fairly likely that Colin has suffered in his professional development by being assigned as a starter so early in his career and with nobody to challenge him.  Put more succinctly:  Has he rested on his laurels?
The season-long Blaine Gabbert gamble has yet to be seen to have been a failure or a hit, but does the front office believe that Blaine can be the man to solidify the backup position and to provide healthy competition for Colin?  If not, Gabbert won’t be back.
Nothing suggests either, that Josh Johnson is the man to grab the #2 spot and push Kaepernick, especially with the departure of his biggest fan:  Jim Harbaugh.
So this leaves two options:  Acquiring a suitable veteran backup quarterback in free agency/via a trade, or picking one up in the draft.

If the 49ers go down the draft route, I would imagine that they would have to pick a quarterback in the upper half  of the rounds if he is to be talented enough to fulfill the teams needs. What may be more likely however, is that the team will go down the route of having a veteran fill in as the backup and then to draft a guy in the lower rounds who can sit as #3QB, perhaps even on the practice squad, with the intent of training him up to be the long-term solution.
I can’t foresee the team picking up a veteran who has a legitimate shot at starting, when they have invested so much time and money in Kaepernick, even if doing so may actually propel Colin into the upper echelons where many believe he belongs.

The quarterback position is definitely one of the most intriguing sections of the roster this year.  It will be interesting to see what the front office and the new head coach Jim Tomsula will do over the coming months.



Photograph references

Colin Kaepernick vs Dallas, Ninerfans.com, viewed 15 January 2015 <http://ninerfans.com/video-49ers-jim-harbaugh-compares-colin-kaepernick-to-superman/ >

Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville.com, viewed 15 January 2015, <http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2014-08-08/story/former-jaguars-quarterback-blaine-gabbert-has-rough-start >

Josh Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, viewed 15 January 2015, <http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/slideshow/49ers-rout-Texans-40-13-92540.php >