San Francisco 49ers: 2016 Will be Make-or-Break Year for General Manager Trent Baalke

The San Francisco 49ers’ offseason has started off on a focus for the team’s next head coach. But general manager Trent Baalke should also be on the watch in 2016 based on where the Niners currently stand and what they’ll have moving forward.

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a horrendous and forgettable 2015 season in which the team finished 5-11, parted ways with head coach Jim Tomsula and ranked at or near the bottom of nearly every significant offensive and defensive category.

“Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the current state of this team.” – 49ers CEO Jed York

But all that is in the past right now, and 49ers general manager Trent Baalke has been assigned the arduous task of turning things around in Santa Clara while the 2016 year is still in its infancy.

Baalke is currently signed through 2018, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. But while the contractual obligations point to trust between the 49ers front office and Baalke, this year should be the season in which Baalke’s future with the franchise is determined.

For starters, CEO Jed York has already expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of the Niners — a statement made during his after-season press conference and as transcribed by Maiocco.

“Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the current state of this team,” York said. “Trent’s role is to find the next head coach and continue to build this roster and get us back to championship form.

“I’ve seen Trent build a championship-caliber roster, in his time as director of player personnel (and) in his time as general manager. I believe in Trent’s ability. We have a lot of opportunity in front of us.”

One may scoff at those remarks based solely on the seemingly unbreakable relationship between York and Baalke. But, assuming York is sincere with his comments and doesn’t merely just care about the 49ers as only a cash cow, it’s possible to draw a conclusion to Baalke being a focal point should the 49ers’ struggles continue.

And there won’t be nearly as many excuses as previous seasons.

Baalke’s recent track record hasn’t been all that impressive. Before we get to the positives, let’s focus on the things the 49ers GM hasn’t done well over the last few years:

• The 2012 NFL draft class
• Most of the 2013 NFL draft class
• Leaked conflicts with former head coach Jim Harbaugh
• Baalke’s “All-ACL” team
• The 2015 49ers free-agent class

2012 was a disaster year for Baalke and the 49ers draft efforts. This was the class that landed wide receiver A.J. Jenkins (bust), running back LaMichael James (bust) and offensive guard Joe Looney (bust).

Everyone talks about that class. And 2013 is starting to look like more of the same, aside from the first-round selection of safety Eric Reid.

But one has to consider Baalke was armed with late-round picks in each of those seasons. And the 49ers, laden with talent across the board at the time, weren’t in desperate need of ready-to-go impact talent. Baalke could afford to draft for the future and not for immediate, pressing needs.

Yet that approach came back to haunt the 49ers following the en masse departures that plagued the franchise following the 2014 season.

And Baalke’s efforts in free agency a year ago left more than enough to be desired.

Still, Baalke has to receive some commendation for what he has done well:

• The 2011 NFL draft class
• Most of the 2014 NFL draft class
• Stockpiling of draft picks

Personality concerns aside, Baalke should be in line with most other NFL general managers. He’s had his gaffes and has cashed in on some great picks as well.

But the pressure is on for the 2016 season. And it’s a year in which Baalke and the 49ers organization will be armed with plenty of ammunition to address a multitude of challenges.

First and foremost, Baalke continues to be involved in the team’s search for a new head coach.

One can bet the coach’s success or failure will be directly associated with Baalke. Who would assume York would shoulder the blame if things don’t go well here?

Upon conclusion of the search, Baalke and the 49ers will be gearing up for free agency and the draft.

Unlike previous seasons, San Francisco will be armed with a considerable amount of cap space — currently $53,554,714, per Over the Cap, which is the fourth most among NFL teams entering this offseason, per Maiocco.

“The one thing that I’m convinced of is you can’t buy championships,” Baalke said, via Maiocco. “You earn championships and there’s a process to it. You build through the draft. You supplement your roster with free agency. You take care of your own guys because that creates ownership on their part.

“So to say we’re going to go out and because we have X-number of dollars to spend, how are we going to spend that? Are you going to spend that on two players or are you going to spend that on 12 players? I don’t know. I don’t have that answer right now nor would I from a competitive standpoint share that. But there’s different ways to use that money. We just have to make sure we use it correctly.”

Here’s the catch: San Francisco has more than enough holes to fill during this offseason — more than the 12 possible players Baalke references.

And Baalke is right about building teams through the draft. But the current situation in Santa Clara mandates Baalke taking a more aggressive approach than what has been seen previously.

Certainly a more successful one than what was seen in advance of the 2014 season. Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett didn’t work out. Neither did running back Reggie Bush or cornerback Shareece Wright.

So what about the draft?

Not unlike previous years, Baalke will be armed with a plethora of picks for 2016 — 12 is the latest prediction, according to David Fucillo of Niners Nation.

Baalke, or “Trader Trent” as he has become known, has an uncanny ability to move around during drafts which, frequently, net San Francisco even more selections. And he may have to do so again given the overwhelming number of 49ers needs.

But where will he start? Will Baalke aim for a quarterback in Round 1? Or will he target the best player available and/or consider moving down in the first round to accrue even more picks if the value isn’t quite there?

This is where the general manager will need to make his mark this offseason.

As is so often the case, the net results of Baalke’s efforts won’t be felt right away. Prospects, even the best ones, frequently take time to groom and develop. Case in point, defensive end Arik Armstead was viewed as raw when he was drafted at No. 17 overall last season. And he turned into one of the better 49ers defenders in 2015.

Safety Jimmie Ward took just over a year to reach a similar mark.

Still, if we are to assume York’s comments about expecting a turnaround sooner rather than later, Baalke will be under the microscope. If there’s notable improvement, Baalke’s job remains safe. If not?

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Connect the dots on that one.

2016 needs to be a turning point for Baalke and his efforts with San Francisco. Anything less should signify a change in plans from York and the 49ers front office.

And the clock is ticking.

Next: 49ers' Top 5 Positions Needing Improvement in 2016

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.