San Francisco 49ers: Quiet Times for This Bay Area Team

From playoff contender under head coach Jim Harbaugh to also-ran as of late, the San Francisco 49ers have fallen on hard times and who knows when they plan on getting up.

It’s been a very docile offseason for both San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and new head coach Chip Kelly, late of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Especially when you consider what things were like at this time roughly a year ago for both gentlemen.

Kelly and the Birds were busy trading away the likes of running back LeSean McCoy and quarterback Nick Foles to the Buffalo Bills and then-St. Louis Rams, respectively. They also released veterans such as outside linebacker, guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans and cornerback Cary Williams. And top-flight wide receiver to the free-agent highway from Philadelphia to Kansas City.

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In came quarterback Sam Bradford, running backs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, inside linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell. All but Bradford were traded away last week by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman in the aftermath of a 7-9 season in 2015 which saw Kelly dismissed with one game remaining.

But the upheaval in the land of cheese steaks was nothing compared to the changes with the Niners.

Most notable with the retirement of linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, defensive tackle Justin Smith and right tackle Anthony Davis (although ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last month that he was hoping to return in 2016).

The free-agent defections included wide receiver Michael Crabtree, three-time Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati, starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox, outside linebacker Dan Skuta and running back Frank Gore – the franchise’s all-time rushing leader. And that’s not to mention the trade that sent star punter Andy Lee to Cleveland and later, a move that saw tight end Vernon Davis go to the Denver Broncos.

So what have we seen to date in 2016? The Niners watched right guard Alex Boone sign with the Minnesota Vikings and in essence, replaced him with Zane Beadles – cut loose by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team did sign quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who was on the Eagles roster in 2015 but never saw the field. And San Francisco did-re-sign nose tackle Ian Williams and kicker Phil Dawson.

January 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) runs past St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins (21) for a touchdown during the second quarter at Levi /

What’s left to do before the draft next month? Do Baalke and Kelly have any desire to bring back veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin? He has led the club in receptions in each of his three seasons with the clubs. Of course, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News reminds us that this is a club with plenty of ammunition come the draft – including the seventh overall pick.

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Of course, the elephant that remains in the room is whether five-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be with the team much longer. He’s been the subject of trades but nothing has come to fruition. The team still has quarterback Blaine Gabbert on the roster and could use the first-round pick to upgrade the position. We shall see if the team can pick up another pick for the player that helped lead the Niners to Super Bowl XLVII.

There hasn’t been a lot of noise coming out of the 49ers the last two months. And it’s probably a welcome change for both Baalke and Kelly.