Predicting the San Francisco 49ers Starting Lineup in 2017
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers have to be thinking about the future after a 1-9 season has made this year a lost cause. Niner Noise takes an early stab at what the starting lineup might be in 2017.
Yes, it’s already time to start thinking about the future if you’re the San Francisco 49ers.
At 1-9, this season has gone nowhere fast. And one could make the argument the team has actually regressed under first-year head coach Chip Kelly.
Who knows whether or not Kelly stays into next season. And it’s just as equal a question if general manager Trent Baalke remains at his spot beyond January.
The Niners are a team with far too many questions and too few answers. But the franchise is going to need a substantial amount of help this offseason to improve a talent-lacking roster.
That roster prompts a solid question — how will it look when 2017 rolls around?
We know the Niners have a few pieces with which to work moving forward. That’s a good thing. A number of players will remain in starting roles heading into next season. Others might see their roles increased, as older veterans are either replaced or let go.
So let’s take a look at what San Francisco’s starting lineup will be.
We’ll use a standard base lineup, although we’ll give attention to some nickel/three-wide packages since they are so prevalent in today’s NFL.
Let’s kick this off with special teams.