San Francisco 49ers: Predicting Post-OTA Starting Lineups
OTAs are over, and minicamp is beginning. Who will start for your 2016 San Francisco 49ers?
The San Francisco 49ers ended their last day of OTAs on June 2nd. For 10 days, the majority of the roster had a chance to get acclimated to Chip Kelly’s new scheme in a series of non-contact practices. It allowed the players, for the first time, to experience Kelly’s up-tempo scheme and his unique way of organizing and running practices.
We’ve seen new players rotate into starting positions and the beginnings of competition elsewhere. We’ve seen some players we thought would be established starters struggle, and some young players grab the brass ring and show what they can do. It’s the first on-field football we’ve seen from Kelly’s team; it’s normal to get excited!
It’s also important not to blow everything out of proportion, of course. Ten days of OTAs, running around in shorts and helmets, are important for learning the system but they’re only one part of the observation process. The mandatory minicamp, which starts today, will further clarify things, and then training camp will see the positional battles really go into full swing.
Still, we have more information today than we had before the team ever took the field. It’s a good time to take a look at the state of the various positional races, and see who’s fighting to win starting spots. Which players’ performance at OTAs will actually impact their role with the team in 2016, and which are just offseason mirages? Let’s try to cut through the tape and figure out a starting lineup for the team in 2016.
Next: Quarterback