San Francisco 49ers: Finding Parallels, Differences Between Now and the 2005 Rebuild Project

The San Francisco 49ers are going through a complete overhaul of their roster heading into the 2017 season. By looking back at the team’s situation entering 2005, we can draw conclusions based off the parallels and differences between these two years.

Here’s the scenario — the 49ers finished the prior season with a 2-14 record, fired their head coach and general manager during the offseason and headed into the NFL Draft with a top-five pick.

This is the situation San Francisco now faces. And it’s eerily parallel to the one the Niners endured after 2004.

San Francisco got rid of an ineffective head coach, Dennis Erickson, entering 2005 and replaced him with Mike Nolan, who also doubled as the team’s general manager, replacing Terry Donahue.

San Francisco 49ers

This year, the Niners have tabbed Kyle Shanahan as former head coach Chip Kelly’s replacement. And John Lynch takes over as GM, removing the reins from Trent Baalke, who was largely responsible for the team’s demise in recent seasons.

All in all, feelings are pretty good about this current regime. This group has said the right things, made notable moves in free agency and now boast the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

But the same could be said of the Niners back in 2005 as well. Remember, that group was about as talent strapped as the 2016 49ers. And they held the first overall pick heading into that year’s draft.

One trajectory has yet to be determined. The other went terribly wrong. How can San Francisco avoid repeating mistakes of the last rebuild?

Let’s look at how.

Making the Right Moves in Free Agency

In 2005, Nolan brought in a number of free-agent additions to restore a depleted roster made so by San Francisco’s salary cap issues in previous seasons.

Chief among the additions that year were defensive tackle Marques Douglas, kicker Joe Nedney and offensive tackle Jonas Jennings.

Douglas ended up being a solid pickup for San Francisco as it transitioned to a 3-4 defense. The move helped, but the Niners defense still lacked for playmakers. And subsequent moves via the NFL Draft did little to address the need.

Nedney was a fine pickup, but Jennings was a complete disappointment. The oft-injured lineman started just three games for San Francisco that year and only 23 during his four-year 49ers stint.

Needless to say, it was a wasted effort.

San Francisco’s moves in 2017 were a bit different. Largely focusing on offensive players fitting in with Shanahan’s system, Lynch elected to sign blue-chip veterans capable of “improving the Niners’ middle class,” as phrased by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on KNBR 680.

We’re yet to see how each of these 2017 additions will impact the 49ers. But it’s safe to say Nolan’s efforts in 2005 were far from adequate, even if he was somewhat handicapped by the team’s salary restrictions.

At least this current crop can act as mentors for implementing a new scheme in Santa Clara.

A Home-Run NFL Draft

Any team coming off a 2-14 finish the previous year needs and impact NFL Draft class.

Armed with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, Nolan’s 49ers elected to go with quarterback Alex Smith out of Utah.

We remember this well. Smith’s first season at the pro level was a nightmare. The team had zero offensive talent around him, and Smith was constantly under fire, thanks to a permeable offensive line. Remember Jennings being a non-factor?

Second-round pick David Baas was supposed to be an upgrade at guard. But he only started five games his first two years in San Francisco.

Running back Frank Gore in Round 3 turned out to be the best pick of all, so credit to Nolan there.

Fourth-round pickup Adam Snyder ended up being a serviceable O-lineman but not much more. As for the remaining picks? Well, there isn’t much to remember.

Out of that class, only Gore and, to a lesser extent, Smith deserve to be remembered as franchise changers. And Smith took six years before his tenure with the team became worthwhile.

Entering the 2017 NFL Draft, Lynch and Co. can’t afford to make the same draft gaffes. Lynch needs as big a pickup at No. 2 overall as he can get. Subsequent picks, especially in Rounds 2 and 3 need to be of the game-changing variety as well.

Failing in the 2005 draft only prolonged San Francisco’s rebuild and delayed the team’s return to prominence for a number of years.

Front-Office Fiascos

By 2008, it was becoming clear the Nolan era wasn’t working. San Francisco had installed former VP of Player Personnel Scot McCloughan as general manager, which took away Nolan’s role in assembling a team.

And Nolan’s routine feuds with players, most notably Smith, created even more problems within the locker room.

Nolan was fired midseason after a 2-5 start and replaced with then-linebackers coach Mike Singletary. Aside from a handful of NFL Draft additions, the Niners had essentially wasted three-plus years of rebuilding time.

Whatever the vision was Nolan had for his team then wasn’t reached. Instead, the infighting and dysfunction continued well into the latter part of the decade.

It’s not unlike the same infighting the preceded the 49ers’ hiring of both Lynch and Shanahan.

With both executives signed to six-year deals, it’s hard to believe the same course of failed action will repeat itself. And yet one should exercise caution here, since many fans felt the same hope for the team when Nolan was hired prior to the 2005 season.

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This isn’t to say the Lynch and Shanahan tandem will be as disastrous as the Nolan era. If anything, the current group has already made strides to prove it is nothing like what has gone before in Santa Clara.

That’s a good thing, especially if the 49ers brass has learned from mistakes made in the past.

But if they haven’t, one can expect another four- or five-year rebuild on the table with more than a few front-office changes to be made.

Next: 10 Current 49ers Who Won't Be on the 2018 Roster

And that won’t help matters at all.