The San Francisco 49ers may be pushing out some underperforming talent in 2020, which means these three players need to step it up big time this upcoming year.
After two disappointing seasons, the 2019 San Francisco 49ers proved they have a roster worthy of contending for a Super Bowl for a while. Simply put, their championship window is now open, and it’ll stay that way for the immediate future.
The influx of talent last year, combined with the maturation and development from players already on the roster, ultimately means general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan can afford to cut bait with players no longer fitting into the long-term plans. This, even if it means parting ways with players who were once seen as potential impact talents.
2019 was a perfect microcosm of this. Players many thought would be household names among Niners fans fell by the wayside, giving way to others who took the opportunity and ran with it, quite literally.
Look no further than running back Raheem Mostert, a perennial special teams ace who secured the starting job over more established runners like Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, carrying that momentum all the way through Super Bowl LIV.
What that means for Coleman and Breida going forward isn’t yet known. But there are plenty of other cases where the upcoming 2020 campaign will be decisive in determining whether or not the 49ers hold onto players who may otherwise no longer be needed.
For those guys, every chance between now and the end of the regular season will be crucial.
Here are three Niners players facing a do-or-die situation in 2020 and will need every opportunity to turn their NFL careers around if they hope to remain with San Francisco.
No. 3: Wide Receiver Richie James
For the better part of the last two seasons, many a fan has clamored to see third-year wide receiver Richie James as a bigger part of Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
At times, James has been featured in a role. In Week 1 last year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he flashed that potential with a 39-yard touchdown in San Francisco’s opening win of the season.
After that, however, James was all but relegated to return duties on special teams. Fumbling a return in the Super Bowl didn’t do him any favors moving forward, yet his lack of use on offense is arguably the more troubling aspect.
Especially when the 49ers were hurting for wide receiver contributions for much of the year before the team traded for the veteran, Emmanuel Sanders, prior to the NFL trade deadline.
Perhaps James was underutilized by Shanahan. That’s a safe argument. But one has to wonder why the head coach elected not to put the speedy, shifty James into a more prominent role. Was there something missing in practice? Does James have the route-running abilities so highly prized in Shanahan’s system?
It’s hard to say.
Either way, the depth of the 2020 NFL Draft class at wide receiver suggests James’ immediate future could be in doubt, especially if San Francisco elects to dip into this crop to reinforce a position of need this offseason.
No. 2: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon
Unlike Richie James, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon wasn’t underutilized by the 49ers in 2019.
Instead, Witherspoon started off hot early in the year, suffered a foot sprain which resulted in an elongated absence, returned to the starting lineup, lost his starting job to fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley, regained it again in time for the postseason, only to lose it again after giving up an ugly touchdown to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the divisional round.
After all was said and done, Pro Football Focus ranked Witherspoon the No. 86 overall cornerback during the regular season out of 113 qualifiers.
The Niners’ third-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft needs a bounce-back season in a major way. Entering a contract year, and with San Francisco likely looking for a long-term replacement for the veteran, Richard Sherman, determining whether or not Witherspoon can be a permanent fixture on the defense is going to be paramount.
Especially if the 49ers add yet another cornerback via the draft or free agency this offseason.
The good news is Witherspoon possessed some great playmaking efforts early in 2019, suggesting some more development this offseason could do him some good.
Yet the odds are seemingly stacked against him, and the inconsistency over his pro career probably means San Francisco won’t exercise much more patience with their one-time boundary starter.
No. 1: Wide Receiver Dante Pettis
What happened to wide receiver Dante Pettis in 2019 was nothing short of befuddling.
San Francisco 49ers
A year removed from an impressive rookie season, in which Pettis flashed all the signs of being a No. 1 wideout his final five games, the former University of Washington standout all but disappeared from Kyle Shanahan’s offensive game plan. Much of this stemmed from training camp, where Pettis was already being called out by his head coach.
And while Pettis had some clutch moments during the regular season, such as a game-winning catch in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his 2019 campaign is likely one he’d prefer forgetting.
Especially when one looks at his mere 11 receptions for 109 yards — scant numbers for a one-time second-round NFL Draft pick the 49ers moved up to get.
Towards the end of the season, Pettis was relegated to backup duties, even finding himself inactive in the Super Bowl. The trade for Emmanuel Sanders, combined with the evolution of then-rookie Deebo Samuel, pushed Pettis to the periphery.
Sanders, a pending free agent, could depart this offseason. That could open the door for Pettis to bounce back in 2020, yet those prospects could be hindered yet again if the Niners push for one of those many receiving targets in this year’s draft.
Either way, Pettis is facing a do-or-die campaign under Shanahan this upcoming season, and the wideout’s future hangs in the balance.