San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players With a Last Chance in 2016

The San Francisco 49ers have players throughout the roster that have failed to live up to expectations. While some players are given multiple chances to succeed with a team, certain 49ers have nearly worn out their welcome. Five players in particular are looking at their last opportunities with the team in 2016.

Players are drafted based on their production in college and the expectations of how they might perform in the NFL. The process is inexact, but good general managers are able to locate impressive players throughout the draft and put them in positions to be successful as professionals. Trent Baalke, the San Francisco 49ers general manager, has recently failed to hit on draft picks and it’s left the team’s roster with holes.

New head coach Chip Kelly has a scheme that will alter the types of players Baalke and his staff look for, but they’ll begin their work by assessing the players already on the roster. The 49ers are sure to lose some players in free agency and target others as replacements.

The replacements may come in the form of players already on the roster. Each year new players are given an opportunity to succeed and earn starting positions. The flip side of that, of course, is that players that have failed to make an impact quickly see their opportunities fade.

The 49ers have five players that face the upcoming season as their last chance to make an impact as a 49er player. If they fail to do so, they’ll soon be playing for another team.

Next: Failed Offensive Lineman

Marcus Martin-Interior Offensive Lineman

Marcus Martin has largely failed to impress as a young 49er. Drafted in the third round out of the University of Southern California in 2014, Martin was seen as a player capable of playing both center and guard for the team.

Martin was just 20 years old when the 49ers selected him. Nearly every scouting report on Martin noted his age, but many felt that his NFL-coached development could build him into a high-quality starting offensive lineman.

Starting center Daniel Kilgore lost significant time due to injury and Martin stepped in as a rookie. Unfortunately, Martin did not arrive with the same performance that Kilgore had shown consistently as the anchor of the offensive line.

The biggest issue for Martin is his functional strength. The 49ers don’t need him to be Larry Allen but they do need him to be strong at the point of attack. That necessity is exponentially compounded in a division that holds the Los Angeles Rams’ and Seattle Seahawks’ defensive lines.

The 49ers needed Martin to step up in 2015 and he didn’t improve on his rookie season. Fans routinely saw him overmatched and out-muscled by defensive lineman. Not only are fans tired of seeing Martin get bullied at the line of scrimmage but local beat writers couldn’t understand the commitment to starting him either.

Before October was even over, Martin had already accumulated a Pro Football Focus grade much lower than guard Jordan Devey and fans were screaming for Devey’s head.

While Martin is still young, and his body could develop greatly over the next year or two, the NFL is a business of now and the 49ers can’t wait much longer for Martin to reach their expectations. Martin may continue to grow into an athletic frame and he’ll be given 2016 to do so.

Unfortunately, because of the expectations for Martin coming out of college, his leash with the 49ers may be shorter than others. They simply don’t have time to wait. And he may not be given another opportunity after 2016.

Next: Final Transition

Tank Carradine-EDGE

For the purposes of this exercise, we list Tank Carradine as an EDGE player. We have yet to see him play much outside linebacker for the 49ers after his failed attempt to bulk up and play as a defensive tackle in the 49ers’ 3-4 defensive scheme.

In college at Florida State, Carradine was a defensive end in a 4-3 defense and was seen as a premiere interior pass-rusher as he came out of the draft. The 49ers were considered to have one of the steals of the draft after getting Carradine at 40th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. Carradine slipped to the second round after an ACL injury ended his senior season.

49ers supporters have been waiting for Carradine to arrive and justify the hype that surrounded him throughout the draft process. As he prepared to enter the draft, even with his injury, many expected him to be drafted high and make an impact.

Jeremiah wasn’t the only one that thought he would impress in the NFL.

Ultimately, the experiment to transition to a 3-4 DT rather than a 4-3 DE hasn’t paid off like the 49ers or Carradine expected, and he is now in transition of trying to find a fit in this defense.

In a pass-happy NFL landscape, it’s reasonable to believe that the team could hold a roster spot simply for a sub-package EDGE defender. Tank will have to beat out other players on the roster for a single position and will need to produce all season or risk seeing himself land on the inactive list on game days.

Dominant defenses have elite pass-rushers and the 49ers are still waiting on a new defender to fill that role after Aldon Smith’s departure. Carradine will be given the opportunity in 2016 but it is likely his last with the team. If he fails again, he’ll be ushered out.

Next: Emotional and Underwhelming Receiver

Quinton Patton-Wide Receiver

Where do we begin with Quinton Patton? For every step he takes forward, he seems to take a few backwards. With every catch for a first down, there is a personal foul penalty to remind us how immature he acts on the field.

When the 49ers drafted Patton in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, there were high hopes for what he might provide. He starred at receiver for Louisiana Tech and was seen as a potential number two receiver in the NFL.

The 49ers haven’t needed him to be anything more than a productive third receiver and he has failed to live up to those expectations to this point in his career. 2015 was the first time that Patton saw extended opportunities and he showed glimpses of what the team hoped coming out of college.

He had 30 catches for 394 yards with one touchdown. Those numbers won’t wow anyone. But, in an offense controlled by former offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, and with the tumultuous quarterback situation, Patton began to make a name for himself.

The issue with Patton is not so much that he can’t play. Given a chance, he could be a very solid third receiver. The issue is that he is so emotional on the field that you never know when he might cost your team a penalty. That volatility, paired with a relatively unproductive career, makes him a risk at a roster spot.

Patton has shown skills that would fit nicely in Kelly’s system but only if he remains sharp and focused. Patton will need to spend the offseason and training camp showing that he committed to being recognized for the right reasons. He’ll also have to show he’s less focused on chirping at others.

If not, he may not make it out of camp this season. And certainly won’t return in 2017.

Next: Shutdown Corner

Tramaine Brock-Cornerback

Tramaine Brock is a starting cornerback for the 49ers. But that might not last for long. There are three cornerbacks below him on the depth chart that are biting at his ankles for playing time. Kenneth Acker, Keith Reaser and Dontae Johnson are all on the cusp of overtaking Brock as the number one corner on the 49ers.

If two of those three have solid training camps, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see Brock become a backup.

Brock signed a four-year extension in 2013 and Jason Hurley of Niners Nation broke down some of the payments and incentives associated with the contract. The contract for Brock is not so lucrative that the 49ers couldn’t reasonably back out at any time that they believe Brock isn’t performing.

And that time may be coming soon.

When the 49ers extended Brock, he was playing unbelievably well and was making himself a name after going undrafted and signing as a free agent in 2010.

Brock has played average. But the 49ers needed him to maintain his ascension and continue to create turnovers for the defense. He intercepted only three passes this season in 15 games. in 2013, the season that he signed his extension, he intercepted five passes in only seven games started.

For one reason or another, his turnover rate has declined. Pro Football Focus tweeted their cornerback rankings in early December and Brock fell roughly where you might expect. He ranked 37th. Not great, not terrible.

If there weren’t young players behind Brock on the depth chart, it might make sense to continue paying him to start. But the 49ers have likely seen what he is and are risking the development of young corners behind him by continually starting Brock each weekend.

If Brock doesn’t firmly stand out in training camp and the regular season, he could see the 2016 season as his last with the team.

Next: Underwhelming and Injured

Bruce Ellington-Wide Receiver

49ers receiver Bruce Ellington might be one of the most frustrating players on the team. He’s a practice in patience for every fan. Just when he feels ready for a big performance, he’s injured and left inactive for the week.

When Chip Kelly was hired as head coach, everyone immediately began speculating what role Ellington might have in the offense.

“They’ve planned it out perfect. He’s bound to take off now.”

But we’ve been saying that since he was drafted.

He’s productive in the preseason. Just look at his touchdown in Week 4 against the Chargers. He took a shallow cross and exploded for a 70 yard touchdown. Against third string competition, he’s clearly the best on the field.

In former offensive coordinator Geep Chryst’s system, Ellington was seen as a player to get the ball quickly and let his athleticism do the rest.

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That also explained his role as punt returner despite not being particularly impressive and having Australian sensation Jarryd Hayne waste on the practice squad. But I digress.

Nonetheless, someone in the 49ers thinks that Ellington is great with the ball, but they may not trust him to be much of a downfield receiver. And the 49ers’ use of Ellington in the offense became pretty unimaginative.

There’s no doubt that he’s exceptional in the open field. But how can the 49ers expect anything when he is perpetually hampered? The 49ers need him to remain on the field if they have any plans to explore how he might fit in Kelly’s system.

Ellington is not confused about the criticism of his health. He has admitted to discussing it with former head coach Jim Tomsula. But as a professional athlete, his value is determined by his ability to be ready for games and to compete completely in those games. If he can’t, the 49ers can no longer waste a roster spot on a player that is rarely available.

What the 49ers do in the first couple rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft may tell us all that we need to know about the 49ers plans for Ellington moving forward. Either way, the upcoming season is likely his final shot to impress the front office.

Next: Way Too Early Prediction for 2016

The 49ers have seen plenty of these players. They know what they can do and, more importantly, they know what they can’t do. With only 46 players active each game, the rebuilding effort can no longer afford to waste spots on players that aren’t producing.

Whether they are slowed by injury, waiting to finishing developing or simply can’t stay mentally sharp, the team can’t keep hoping players pan out eventually. They need quality and depth up and down the roster if they plan on keeping pace with Arizona or Seattle in this division.

Unless the players mentioned show major improvement in 2016, there is a good chance they’ll be shown the door sooner rather than later.

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