49ers offensive players who have something to prove part 3: Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, and Blake Bell

Last season I wrote about how Garrett Celek was going to have a break out year for the 49ers. Add that to the list of things I was wrong about. It should come as no surprise that the sixth-year tight end will likely find himself with a pink slip in hand before the end of preseason.

Celek’s contributions were less than stellar during a season marred by drops and fumbles in the passing game and an inability block defenders in the running game.

Celek’s 10 percent drop rate in 2016 is a 10 percent increase from the previous season.

Aside from some boneheaded drops, he is also not a tight end who can consistently win at the catch point when the pass is slightly off target or hard to handle.

As a run and pass blocker, Celek struggled all season to set himself apart from the current tight end class.

Most of the lack of success on any one play can be attributed to Celek either shying away from, or an inability to hold his blocks, allowing his defender to single-handedly blow up the entire play.

The 49ers are running a split zone play fake with Celek’s (No. 88) responsibility being backside end.

It’s the perfect blocking scenario as he only has to get in the end’s way and prevent him from chasing the play down from the backside. Celek barely gets a chip on him and the defender sacks the quarterback.

In much the same way Celek can’t stick and hold and blocks in the passing game, so too can he not effectively block in the running game. Whether the play was zone or single back power, defenders regularly and effectively played their run fits against a tight end who displayed no ability to hold blocks.

I would not be surprised if Celek is cut by the end of preseason as he is the most likely candidate.