San Francisco 49ers: Strengths, weaknesses and X-factors for each position
By Peter Panacy
With the 2019 NFL season just around the corner, Niner Noise looks at all the San Francisco 49ers’ positions and breaks down their strengths, weaknesses and X-factors.
There’s no such thing as a perfect roster in the NFL. And the 2019 San Francisco 49ers already have a long list of potential strengths and weaknesses as they gear up for the regular season this September.
A 4-12 finish last year tells you a lot about what you need to know. Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells used to note how a record tells you just how good any team is. Judging off that statement, the 2018 Niners weren’t particularly great.
Fortunately, San Francisco spent considerable effort during the offseason reinforcing both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The team made changes on special teams, too, notably bringing aboard rookie punter Mitch Wishnowsky in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Many of the changes prompt the inevitable hype and excitement nearly every team feels each offseason.
But the reality is teams have strengths and weaknesses across the board and at every position. The 49ers are no exception.
So, with 2019 training camp less than a month away, Niner Noise takes a position-by-position look and examines the strengths, weaknesses and X-factors for each, starting off with Wishnowsky’s new unit, special teams.
Special Teams
It’s not usually a good sign for a team to have significant drama on special teams, but the 49ers do entering 2019. Veteran kicker Robbie Gould remains a holdout and has yet to sign his tender after being hit with the franchise tag earlier this offseason. Both he and the Niners have until July 15 to negotiate a new deal.
The use of a fourth-round pick on Wishnowsky was questionable, sure. But if he winds up being a massive field-changing specialist, it won’t matter much.
If.
Strengths
Gould has been all but automatic for San Francisco in each of his last two seasons. Assuming he returns for the regular season and spends one more year with the Niners, there should be little to worry about.
Wishnowsky was a standout during 49ers organized team activities, too, so that’s a good sign.
Weaknesses
The Niners allowed an average of 24.5 yards per kickoff return last year — eighth highest in the NFL. And Football Outsiders ranked all of San Francisco’s special teams right in the middle of the pack, 14th overall.
It’s difficult to gauge how good the 49ers coverage units will be this season, given the sheer amount of changes year to year. But it wasn’t particularly great in preventing long kick returns last season, so that’s something to watch again.
X-Factors
Gould’s holdout remains a bit of a concern. Should he sit out the entirety of 2019, it’ll cost him nearly $5 million in salary, which should be enough to suggest he’ll be back.
But he’s not present until, well… he’s present.
Wishnowsky’s performance, too, will be scrutinized. After all, punters rarely are drafted before Round 5, if at all, and Wishnowsky was the first specialist taken in the draft. A solid season would nullify a lot of the question marks here, but the fact they remain keeps his performance at an X-factor level.
Who winds up returning both punts and kicks for San Francisco in 2019? Wide receiver Richie James? Defensive back D.J. Reed? Someone else?
Remember, field position is vital.