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San Francisco 49ers: 10 Early Predictions for 2016 Regular Season

By Trevor Irvine

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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December 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) intercepts the football against San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) intercepts the football against San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Biggest Bust: Vance McDonald

Seriously, has there been a bigger second-round draft pick bust in recent memory?

Well, perhaps yes when you include LaMichael James, Taylor Mays and Tank Carradine. Carradine is undergoing a rebirth, so let’s cut him a break at this point (more on him later).

McDonald just cannot take the next step. He is a good enough blocker, but for a tight end the real difference maker is to catch the football. When Vernon Davis lost his focus/passion/belief the onus was placed onto McDonald to take this step and become the team’s No. 1 tight end.

He has failed miserably at this task. In 2013 he was targeted 19 times for just eight catches. In 2014 he was targeted just eight times for a grand total of two catches, and last season he was targeted 46 times for 30 catches.

The commonality here is McDonald doesn’t catch enough balls. Obviously what is a catchable ball or not can be debated. We all remember the Cincinnati Bengals game from last year – he was thrown two perfectly thrown passes which he simply fumbled and put up in the air for an easy interception.

Just pathetic.

McDonald lacks the soft hands to be a successful TE in this league. He has hands of stone, which is fine for blocking but useless for catching.

So has McDonald made any progress so far in OTAs? Let’s ask Grant Cohn of the Press Democrat:

"THE USUAL 1. TE Vance McDonald. Pulled a Vance McDonald."

Nope. He has been overtaken by Garrett Celek and Blake Bell, and there are intriguing options in Busta Anderson and now Bruce Miller, who has caught 76 passes in his five year career, which is almost double the number of McDonald (and he was a fullback).

There has been some chatter on Twitter for the Niners to trade McDonald to perhaps the Bengals (due to the knee surgery of their TE Tyler Eifert) for a fifth-round draft pick.

Why not? It is time to cut the losses on McDonald. He will never reliably catch the football. If the Niners decide to keep him in 2016, he will be easily the biggest bust on the team.

Again.

Next: Pro Bowlers for 2016