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2016 Offseason: 5 Best-Case Scenarios for the San Francisco 49ers

By Peter Panacy

What might Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke cook up in free agency? Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
What might Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke cook up in free agency? Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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August 1, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Ejiro Evero during training camp at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 1, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Ejiro Evero during training camp at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Maximizing the Roster

One of the downsides to having a talent-laden roster is there won’t be a true sense of open competition. Established starters are just that: established. And while bona fide talent is a necessity at the pro level, creating some sort of competition at virtually every position should bring out the best from each player and the team as a whole.

We have no clue how the roster will look in advance of training camp. Free agency and the draft will determine a lot of that. But it is possible to gauge some likely position battles.

Here are a few:

  • Quarterback: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, rookie
  • Backup Running Back: Mike Davis, DuJuan Harris, Jarryd Hayne
  • No. 3 Wide Receiver: Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington, DeAndre Smelter, rookie
  • Offensive Line: Trent Brown, Marcus Martin, Brandon Thomas, Andrew Tiller, Ian Silberman, rookie
  • Outside Linebacker Depth: Corey Lemonier, Eli Harold, rookie
  • No. 2 Cornerback: Kenneth Acker, Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser, Marcus Cromartie, rookie

In short, the 49ers have a number of starting and immediate-backup positions up for grabs. So training camp and the preseason should be an excellent indication of how the 49ers roster will shape up.

And remember, San Francisco will have to trim it from 90 players down to 53 in advance of Week 1 of the regular season.

So the best-case scenario here would be for said competition to be as intense and productive as possible. Without injury, of course.

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It’s also possible to see some late bloomers added to the mix — players whom we all thought wouldn’t make much of an impact but ended up showing something new and forcing their way into consideration. Maybe defensive end Tank Carradine or tight end Vance McDonald finally live up to their expectations.

We can say just yet. But in order for the 49ers to have a successful offseason, the necessary competition will need to spark the best roster possible.

Next: 49ers Primer for 2016 Free Agency

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Supplementary contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.