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San Francisco 49ers: Why a Horrid 2016 Season Is Good for the Franchise

By Peter Panacy

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York (left), Chip Kelly (center), and San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) pose for a photo in a press conference after naming Kelly as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York (left), Chip Kelly (center), and San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) pose for a photo in a press conference after naming Kelly as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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2016 is quickly proving to be a worse season for the San Francisco 49ers than the 2015 efforts from a year ago. And it’s exactly what the franchise needs moving forward.

This year was supposed to be one of improvement for the San Francisco 49ers. At least in comparison to the Niners’ 2015 campaign under then-head coach Jim Tomsula.

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Instead, current head coach Chip Kelly’s squad finds itself 1-6 on the season and riding a six-game losing streak that doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon. Any hopes the franchise was on the ascent, especially after an impressive Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, have quickly evaporated.

The 49ers are at rock bottom.

Or are they? In terms of what’s being seen on the field, probably. San Francisco’s defense is on pace to be historically bad.

As the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows pointed out, the Niners defense is on pace to give up 114 more points than last year’s group.

And the offense? Well, Kelly has quarterbacking questions surrounding Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. There aren’t any legitimate playmakers at wide receiver or tight end. Running back Carlos Hyde is hurt, again, and the “improved” offensive line isn’t so much improved after all.

While painful, this horrid season is actually a good one for San Francisco. Really, it is.

Forget About the 49ers Record

Before the year even started, Niner Noise broke down why fans shouldn’t even bother worrying about what San Francisco’s record would be in 2016.

Related Story: Why 49ers Fans Shouldn't Worry About the Team's Record in 2016

San Francisco isn’t going to the playoffs this year. We knew that before Week 1 even began. And based on whatever this rebuild process is called, the team isn’t going to sniff the postseason anytime soon.

So that means other intangibles need to be evaluated. Not the record.

Yes, it’s good to see how the Niners measure up against other teams. And the current results tell us what we know — San Francisco isn’t close to being competitive, let alone dominant. And Kelly has his hands full, especially if he’s going to remain the head coach for an elongated period.

Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks towards the field during action against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Texans defeated the 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks towards the field during action against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Texans defeated the 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Still, it’s worth seeing how a widely young group of players is coming along. While there are more than a handful of questions about this roster, it’s important to view guys like defensive ends DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, as well as up-and-coming defensive backs like Jimmie Ward and Rashard Robinson.

Are they going to be cornerstone pieces moving forward? Or are the 49ers going to have to look elsewhere?

October 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Trent Baalke/Jed York Factor

OK, now for the meat of this argument.

Say what you want about him, but CEO Jed York is the only person within the organization who can get this franchise back on track. Cross off anyone else within his family. It’s York’s project and he knows it.

If he truly cares little about winning, more about money and the place called Levi’s Stadium, then there’s your answer. And it’s going to be a tough one for many, many years.

But bottoming out is, perhaps, the only way York will realize the current situation of the franchise is little more than a spinning-tires effort.

So much of this points to general manager Trent Baalke, previously one of the few front-office types considered “safe” within the organization not long ago.

Baalke’s shortcomings in recent NFL Drafts and in free agency are the primary reasons why the 49ers are where they are right now. And while York stated last January he trusted Baalke to rebuild the roster, the failed measures simply highlight the obvious.

Baalke is not the man for the job.

Who is? Well, we don’t know. That’s a discussion for another time. But at least a continuation of failures opens the door to more discontent among fans which, in turn, is a direct reflection on York.

Even if he doesn’t care, the weekly spectacle of a half-full Levi’s Stadium is indication enough how the fans feel. And it’s not a good look for the organization, especially from a PR standpoint (hint: sponsorships and executive-suite purchases). That’s money lost.

Don’t Count Out the High NFL Draft Picks

Back in 2013, then-Bleacher Report featured columnist Dylan DeSimone put together an amazing article breaking down why the 49ers became the “team to beat” in 2013.

In short, DeSimone highlighted how years of failure between 2004 and 2010 opened up the door for a slew of early round picks in each year’s NFL Draft.

Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) takes the field before the start of the NFC divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Packers 45-31. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) takes the field before the start of the NFC divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Packers 45-31. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

A big portion of the article focused on the Niners’ decision to go with quarterback Alex Smith over fellow QB Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 draft. Had San Francisco gone with Rodgers, the 49ers likely would have had a few more wins over the next few years but would have missed out on draft selections like linebacker Patrick Willis, tight end Vernon Davis and wide receiver Michael Crabtree — key components for the Niners’ run between 2011 and 2013.

So maybe that plays out again over the next few years.

Although we can easily argue it would take a good GM to make it all worthwhile.

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Still, this franchise needs to bottom out in order to trigger multiple things happening.

And it will give the organization a chance to look itself in the mirror in a much-needed evaluation from the top to bottom.

Consider this — San Francisco is an easy laughingstock of a franchise, going through a rebuild, with no clear-cut direction in sight.

Next: Short, Medium and Long-Term Goals for the 49ers

If there’s one way to turn things around for the red and gold, it will have to come from bouncing back from the very bottom.