The San Francisco 49ers encountered quite the forgettable 2020-21 campaign, mostly due to some significant injury trouble on both sides of the line of scrimmage. However, because of the team's dismal outing a season ago, some seem to have forgotten that the 49ers are just a few seasons removed from serving as NFC Champions while making an appearance in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2019.
Because San Francisco still has a talented roster and a knowledgeable coaching staff in place, when fully healthy, they are not too far off from once again contending in the NFC.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, though, the 49ers still play their football in the insanely dangerous NFC West division, where the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals all have playoff aspirations of their own heading into 2021. As a result, there are no doubt several changes that need to be made to the team's current roster before the start of the new regular season.
Far from perfect, the 49ers can make two changes in particular that will immediately catapult the once-heralded franchise back to the top of the division–and perhaps the NFC as a whole as well.
49ers must solidify QB position once and for all
The 49ers infamously acquired former New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo via trade just a few seasons ago. While “Jimmy G” was immediately billed as the team's quarterback of the future, it appears as though the organization has yet to formally commit to the veteran signal-caller as the team's true leader under center.
Even though Garoppolo remains the starter in the Bay Area, it seems that the 49ers are in on every quarterback-related conversation these days. If they are going to navigate the troublesome waters of the NFC West division, the team must first figure out its quarterback situation once and for all as it pertains to Garoppolo. After all, the lingering doubt and questions could prove fata; when the season returns.
The 49ers should officially commit to Garoppolo under for years to come, assuming that he can stay healthy which is always a concern. On the other hand, though, there is one scenario in which they can pivot by attempting to acquire Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
The only downfalls here are that the Texans are apparently unwilling to part ways with Watson at this time, while acquiring him via trade would require the 49ers to give up quite the haul in terms of both active NFL players and future NFL Draft picks.
With all of that in mind, the 49ers need to solidify this key position by letting Garoppolo take the reins ahead of the 2021 campaign and simultaneously retaining all of the team's top NFL Draft picks moving forward.
49ers must add to the team's wide receiver corps this offseason
The 49ers currently employ a slew of talented running backs, a veteran quarterback and one of the league's best tight ends. With that said, the team is surely lacking in the wide receiver department.
Although tight end George Kittle serves as the team's top pass catcher, which no doubt helps fill part of this void, adding another legitimate wideout to play alongside the versatile Deebo Samuel would go a very long way for the 49ers–especially with the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks typically sporting more than formidable defenses.
Because the 49ers do like to run the football, perhaps Tennessee Titans wide receiver and pending free agent Corey Davis could be a solid fit in San Francisco. In addition to Davis proving to be one of the best blocking wideouts in the league (with an All-Pro selection in Titans running back Derrick Henry leading the way in Tennessee), the veteran wide receiver also is quite the dynamic pass catcher when called upon.
The Titans elected not to use the team's franchise tag on Davis, so Tennessee will absolutely have some competition to re-sign the former top five NFL Draft pick after he encountered a breakout season last campaign.
Although not as young or physically impressive as Davis, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton could be another option for the 49ers, as a veteran presence in the locker room certainly wouldn't hurt as the NFC West franchise looks to rebound in a big way in the upcoming 2021 stint. Hilton wouldn't need to carry a heavy workload like he did for so many years in Indianapolis, which would allow the longtime Colts standout to fit in well with the 49ers.
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