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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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Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Liability: The Quarterback Situation

One should note this is a liability and not necessarily a weakness.

San Francisco has two legitimate options under center for 2016: Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. And the competition is wide open, as is illustrated in the video below:

Noted in the previous slide, head coach Chip Kelly might be able to effectively work with whichever quarterback ends up earning the starting gig. And the competition might be the best thing for either Kaepernick or Gabbert to turn the page on the next phase of each quarterback’s respective careers.

But let’s pump the breaks for a little bit.

Let’s go back to what Niner Noise’s Rich Madrid broke down in his multiple-part assessment on which QB is the best fit under Kelly.

Madrid’s assessment on Kaepernick came to the following conclusion: Kap had lost a lot of the mental fortitude, which made him an ideal fit under Kelly.

Enter Gabbert. So he’s the better option, right? Not so fast. Madrid later argued Gabbert wasn’t the best fit either, and San Francisco’s second-half 2016 starter had, in all intents and purposes, reached his high point at the pro level — not bad, but certainly not good.

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So the Niners are in a bit of a conundrum here. Could Kaepernick or Gabbert “break out” in 2016? Sure. It’s possible, and it’s a primary reason why this position isn’t a weakness, essentially.

Yet there isn’t an overwhelming sense of confidence either, which makes this a liability in every sense of the word.

The challenge for Kelly and Co. will be to turn this liability under center, and every other question mark as well, into a strength this season and beyond. It will be a process — one which may not necessarily generate an immediate answer.

Next: 5 49ers Storylines to Watch in Training Camp

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.