Here’s what the 49ers starting lineup should look like on offense

Wide Receivers

Here’s where it becomes much more interesting. To say that 49ers wide receivers have been disappointing is an understatement. Apart from one good game from Marquise Goodwin, the receiving corps has simply not played to NFL standards. For all you know, putting in the young ones might just improve this position.

But who should be switching around?

It’s clear to see that Goodwin, for all his injury struggles, has been the best wide receiver on the 49ers, and he will be around for the long haul. That leaves the Z (right) and slot receiver.

San Francisco 49ers

The Z-recieiver

The Z-receiver for the 49ers should be the hard-nosed, possession-type receiver. Pierre Garcon fits that description perfectly, yet the production just hasn’t been there. It has been equally on Garcon, as it has been on the Niner quarterbacks, but catching 50 percent of your 42 targets for only 230 yards isn’t going to cut it.

To make this team ready for the future, Garcon must be benched for a reason even bigger than his performance — his future. I doubt that Pierre Garcon will be starting for the 49ers next year, and his performance seems to corroborate that idea. Whether it’s because of a trade, cut or benching between now and 2019, Garcon’s future does not seem bright.

But the 49ers have a surplus of young, inexperienced receivers to throw at Garcon’s available snaps. Take second-year pro Kendrick Bourne for example. He’s been getting sporadic playing time, yet has two more touchdowns than Garcon. Extra playing time could be the key for him to iron out the kinks and showcase his talent. Or take the rookie, Dante Pettis, whose exceptional training camp has been overshadowed by his injury-plagued season.

Getting snaps to a rookie might be the single best thing for their development.

The Slot Receiver

Next comes the slot receiver. I don’t know what exactly has happened to Trent Taylor and his back, but all I know is that he’s not nearly producing as proficiently or well as last year. There is no explosion, no separation, no anything to differentiate himself. And being a fifth-round pick does not help matters here. He has no financial weight anchoring him to the roster; any regression can lead to his demise.

So with that said, it’s time the 49ers put rookie wideout Richie James out there and let him get some playing time, for God’s sake. The man showed all that he could during the preseason, making the most out of his reps. At this point, it seems almost criminal to not let him show what he can do taking scrimmage snaps.

James has gotten some gadget-play snaps, but it’s time for that to end. He is only a seventh-round pick; worst-case situation, the 49ers can just cut him if they feel there is nothing they can do.

But to not put these young players out there in a position that has struggled so much with veterans is simply mind-boggling. Forget tanking or looking to the future; these changes need to happen just for performance. Sometimes, just one opportunity can lead to a career. Check out what New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did when Drew Bledsoe got injured way back when.

Verdict: Start Goodwin at X, Bourne at Z and James at slot, while mixing in Pettis and Taylor as well.