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5 Teams in Worse Situations than the San Francisco 49ers in 2017

By Peter Panacy

December 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) is brought down by San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) and defensive end Chris Jones (93) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
December 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) is brought down by San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) and defensive end Chris Jones (93) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is pressured by Arizona Cardinals free safety D.J. Swearinger (36) and nose tackle Corey Peters (98) in the fourth quarter during a NFL football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is pressured by Arizona Cardinals free safety D.J. Swearinger (36) and nose tackle Corey Peters (98) in the fourth quarter during a NFL football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Los Angeles Rams

So the Rams fired head coach Jeff Fisher. That was a good move. Yet Los Angeles is still clinging to general manager Les Snead, whose position is more precarious now than ever before.

And a lot of that falls on Snead’s gambling to move up to the No. 1 spot in the 2016 NFL Draft to select quarterback Jared Goff. L.A. gave up quite a bit in the trade — a transaction that can come back to haunt the offensively challenged Rams over the next few years.

The team does have approximately $40.1 million in cap space for the offseason. But the team also owes a ton of money to wide receiver Tavon Austin, who is signed through 2021 and performing nowhere near the caliber one would expect out of a first-round pick.

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Bad contractual decisions, anyone?

Like the 49ers, the Rams are blessed knowing the NFC West isn’t as dominant as it used to be. So a turnaround could be in the folds.

Yet Los Angeles gambled quite a bit on its future in recent years, and that future isn’t looking so bright.

Next: Best and Worst 49ers Players at Every Position

The ramifications of such could come back to haunt the Rams for quite a while.