San Francisco 49ers: 5 Positional X Factors for 2016 Season

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Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) carries the ball for the game winning 71 yard touchdown in front of Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Prosinski (31) during the overtime period at Soldier Field. The 49ers won 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receiver

At one time, the 49ers were known for their wide receivers. During the 49ers dynasty (1981-1994), receivers such as Dwight Clark, John Taylor and G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice all contributed heavily in the franchise’s success. They had major roles in the team’s five Super Bowl wins.

More recent, before the dark age of 49er football (2004-2010), Terrell Owens was one of the two best wide receivers in all of football. Randy Moss was probably the most gifted, but Owens worked much harder.

Now though, the 49ers receivers just stink. They’re not good as a whole and not a very deep group. Torrey Smith is the only notable name among the group, with Anquan Boldin a free agent and Jerome Simpson on the wrong side of 30. The 49ers are desperate for help at the position and have been for quite some time. Even drafting Michael Crabtree, out of Texas Tech in 2009, didn’t turn things around in the receiver room, because he is now finally thriving, in Oakland.

So who can, and will, finally turn the 49ers receiving core into a success in 2016? I’ll give you two names.

First, a head coach and an offensive genius…

Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Chip Kelly

Kelly’s offense is amazing. I’m in awe when I watch what his teams do on Sunday’s. Points are scored, yards are gained and defenses just can’t win for losing against Kelly offenses.

In three seasons Kelly’s offenses have ranked second, fifth, and 12th in total offense, and they have never been lower than 13th in scoring, ranking top fifth in two of Kelly’s three years.

Kelly’s system is a spread attack that creates mismatches for the defense. He puts his receivers in perfect positions to beat one on one coverages against players that can’t handle their speed or size. That’s how Kelly made mediocre receivers, like Riley Cooper, look better than they really were in Philadelphia.

In 2013, Cooper was targeted 84 times in the Eagles pass game. Of those 84 targets, he caught 47 passes for 835 yards and eight TDs. For a fourth year player, it seemed like he was on his way to a permanent starting job. Not so fast. In 2014, Cooper caught 55 passes, but regressed to 577 yards and three TDs. Finally, in 2015, Cooper had his worst season under Kelly, catching a mere 21 passes for 327 yards and just two TDs.

Now, Cooper isn’t even on the roster. He’s been replaced by first round draft pick Nelson Agholor, and free agent signee Rueban Randall among others. So, as you can see, Kelly made Cooper look good. Kelly does that with a lot of players, and he can do it with San Francisco’s receivers, no problem.

Prediction

Kelly makes a huge difference in the 49ers offensive success. This will be the first time that the San Francisco 49ers finish top 10 in offense, since Jeff Garcia was quarterback. Can’t wait!

Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) during the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Bruce Ellington

Bruce Ellington hasn’t done much in his NFL career so far. Since being drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he’s caught a total of 19 passes, averaged just over 11 yards per catch and hauled in just two touchdowns. Most of his work has been in the return game, where he has an average of 25.6 yards.

Ellington’s rushing attempts though, tell the story of his talent. Now, he has just seven carries for 35 yards, but at five yards per clip, he shows explosiveness. Kelly can really utilize a player of Ellington’s type in his spread offense.

All signs have been positive for Ellington this offseason. Safety Antoine Bethea thinks Ellington is really standing out in OTAs, according to David Fucillo of NinersNation.com:

"I would say right now Bruce Ellington is having a great offseason. He’s moving well, catching the ball, putting himself in a position to get a ball in his hand. Jerome Simpson, I can kind of go down the line with guys on that side of the ball doing a lot of good things."

Prediction

Ellington wins the No. 2 receiver job behind No. 1 wideout Torrey Smith. He’ll play primarily in the slot, but he’s going to be the 49ers second-best receiver. He could maybe even lead the team in receptions, depending upon targets. Torrey just isn’t the type to do that, and the only other person that I think could right now is TE Garrett Celek.

Final Thoughts

Kelly and the receivers will bring the best out of each other. They may not be the most dangerous group in the NFL, but the 49ers have receivers that offensive guru, Kelly can work with.

Next: Running Back