Niner Noise
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5 Most Disappointing 49ers So Far in 2016

By Robert Smith

Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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November 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the football against San Francisco 49ers defensive end Tank Carradine (95).Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the football against San Francisco 49ers defensive end Tank Carradine (95).Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Tank Carradine

Five tackles. No sacks. Those are the numbers for edge rusher Tank Carradine so far this season. Not exactly mind-blowing, are they?

After being such a special force in his time at Florida State, in which he posted 16.5 sacks in two seasons, Carradine was being scouted as a top-five NFL Draft prospect.

Unfortunately, a torn ACL derailed his high selection. But the 49ers still took him with the 40th overall pick in the second round in the 2013 draft.

At the time, the plan was for him to sit a year and heal completely and unleash him on the NFL the following season. The coaching staff a the time decided to move Carradine to the inside as an interior pass-rusher. He bulked up to nearly 300 pounds, a move that proved to be a mistake.

Carradine was ineffective, and once former head coach Jim Tomsula and his coaching staff were replaced, the Niners had Carradine slim back down to become an edge rusher once again.

During the preseason, Carradine appeared to be taking to the switch and was soon rewarded with a one-year contract extension on September 6, 2016. But he simply has yet to produce.

As stated above, through the first five games this season, he has totaled just five tackles and no sacks. With the Niners in dire need of playmakers on both sides of the ball, he has not produced.

And with Ahmad Brooks there, and Aaron Lynch returning to action last week and working into the rotation, his snap totals may be dwindling.

Perhaps the 49ers will replenish some of the lost talent of the past few years and allow Carradine to find a place working in a more talented roster. But the 49ers were hoping that he could fill the role once manned by former Niners linebacker Aldon Smith. As of now, it seems as though those expectations may have been a little far-reaching.