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San Francisco 49ers, Breaking Down Team’s Strengths, Liabilities in 2016

By Peter Panacy

October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) prepares to snap the football during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) prepares to snap the football during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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January 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) and wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the St. Louis Rams at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) and wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the St. Louis Rams at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Liability: The Wide Receiver Corps

San Francisco will start Torrey Smith at wide receiver and…

It’s an open-ended question. Who will the 49ers start for the No. 2 wideout gig? Will it be Bruce Ellington? Perhaps Quinton Patton finally emerges. Or will we see an up-and-coming receiver like DeAndre Smelter or Dres Anderson secure the job? Will rookie Aaron Burbridge secure a role?

Do you want to hear a painful stat? The 49ers have only two players — Smith and wide receiver Jerome Simpson — who have more than 40 career catches, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com.

Yes, the Niners could have a hidden gem among all those young, up-and-coming receivers. And former CFL standout Eric Rogers could wind up supplying some playmaking abilities.

But overall, it’s hard to view this position as one of strength for the Niners. There are simply too many “ifs” in the evaluation of the wide receivers at this point.

While head coach Chip Kelly may be able to adequate maximize the available talent to the best of its potential, signs are pointing to the lack of receivers as a major liability for San Francisco this season.

Next: Running Game