Let the Digging Begin

After coming off a 5-11 season, finishing last place in the division, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season, Kaepernick (QB) a once franchise turning player who injured himself ultimately losing his starting job, and ultimately the firing of Jim Tomsula (sad to see the lovable guy go); I can see why finding optimism in the 49er's season is as hard as finding gold laying in your backyard. These unfortunate events plus the ultimate bitter fallout with everyone's beloved Coach Jim "who's got it better than us" Harbaugh, had fans raising their pickaxes at the front office and calling for Jed York's head. With the disaster of the season, questionable leadership leaving fans left in the dark, not knowing if the player you loved would choose their health over a NFL career (not even going to insert a retirement joke, I'll retire them for now), the 49er's off-season began with a search for a new head coach.

General manager Trent Balke and owner Jed York with due diligence showed interest and interviewed head coaching candidates such as Hue Jackson, Tom Coughlin, and Sean Payton; but ultimately decided former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was the gold nugget amidst the sand and rocks.

After a thorough search, Trent & I are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new #HeadCoach of the @49ers
— Jed York (@JedYork) January 14, 2016

Chip "No Huddle" Kelly

Whether it be his quirky personality, his quick-witted responses, his knowledge on the game of football, and lastly his no bullshit attitude; I have been enamored by the man all off-season. Although I'm enthused on Chip Kelly being the 49er's new head coach, I'm a level headed fan; so I could not dismiss his bitter ending to his three-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. I decided to do research of my own on the reasons why Eagles fan's turned sour him, rest assured Chip Kelly is not the man to blame for the Eagles demise.

Chip Kelly: The "GM"

So how can a man who brought 10-6 consecutive seasons (6-9, his last season) to the Eagles have all of Philly turn on him. I mean Brown's fans would have built Chip Kelly a statue by the second 10-6 season (all love Browns fans). Well that brings me to point of using Chip Kelly and GM in the same sentence so loosley. For first, Chip Kelley was never coined as the general manager for the Eagles, never held the title. Only powers he did gain was, being in charge of hiring the right people for the personnel department, control of who was on the roster and the final say in the draft, he was not involved in the day to day activities that general managers typically have.

He was scrutinized for four critical things in his tenure for the eagles. For first, trading Leasean McCoy (Star RB), second releasing Desean Jackson, third releasing Jermey Maclin (Star WR), and lastly releasing two starting guards on a solid offensive line. Rest assured that there is reason as why Chip Kelly allowed these things to happen. Leasean McCoy was asking for too much money (roughly 12 million) and the eagles needed to free up cap space, in a smart personnel decision he traded him and signed DeMarco Murray (Star RB) for 8 million and Ryan Mathews (solid RB) for 4 million, it was an easy decision. Desean Jackson was a football decision, he did not simply fit the scheme Chip wanted to run and had off the field issues. Jermey Maclin took an offer from the Chiefs that far exceeded what the Eagles were willing to spend. Lastly, guards Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis (who was holding out) were released because they were asking for a hefty pay raise that didn't correlate to the on-field production, the mistake wasn't cutting them, but merely not finding a replacement for them.

As far as power goes Trent Balke will have the full reigns of the roster and every personnel decision, Chip Kelly has stated "I want to just coach football," and "I’m excited about being someone like Trent and Tom and those in the personnel department. They have an eye for talent." As you can see there's trust in the front office already established, as Chip had no trust whatsoever with Eagles VP Howie Roseman; which led to a constant power struggle on personnel decisions and Chip's own demise.

Chip Kelly: The Coach

So what does Chip Kelly the coach bring to the table for the 49ers? From a mere X's and O's standpoint, Chip is one of, if not the smartest football mind in the NFL (Bill Belichick, you're up there too, don't let your ego deflate). Here is what Chip Kelly brings to the Niners:

Offense

On the offensive side of the ball Chip will run a no huddle (obviously) up-tempo spread offense, with a major emphasis on the running game. The running game will be built on a zone blocking scheme with an emphasis on inside zone and power plays as they are his bread and butter. The running attack will also be compromised of outside zone plays, sweeps, and Colin Kaepernick's favorite the zone read. Kelly's spread offense is a thing of beauty; when in sync and running, the offense is constantly getting favorable match-ups and getting receiver/running backs consistently open, its basically unstoppable. To those who say its a gimmick offense, I say nay, all Chip does is run a faster offensive system so the opposing team's defense can't substitute in time or make adjustments to the offensive play. Chip in his previous stint with eagles was ranked in the top 5 offense overall each year, except his last (ranked 12th). Here's a link to his rankings on offense throughout his stint, they are certainly impressive. I really look forward to what wrinkles Chip adds to offense with the 49ers.

Defense

On the other side of the ball, Chip loves to run a mirrored 2 gap 3-4 defense. New defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil and my favorite defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro will be in charge of the defense. I believe Jerry Azzinaro will become a fan favorite as he has been with Chip Kelly since his Oregon days; he is also a high character caring guy, who gets his players to play hard and gets every last bit out of a player. Jim O'Neil, I am cautiously optimistic about, reason being last season his stint with Browns had the defense 29th in points allowed (27.0) and 27th in yards allowed (379.2), but this can be attributed to numerous starters being hurt and having scrubs as backups. I know when I say this, I speak for every 49er's fan; I miss when we were a consistently top 5 defense, so Vic Fangio (Former Defensive Coordinator), baby, please comeback. Although 49er fans should be cautious, they should be optimistic that Jim O'Neil has been garnering praise for his new defensive scheme by players such as; safeties Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea, including Navarro Bowman (The Monster).

New #49ers DC Jim O'Neil's energy and system drawing praise at OTAs https://t.co/r3VuicaI5K pic.twitter.com/6ZZ2BO1Lrp
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) May 25, 2016

Special Teams

Special teams will be a major focus of Chip Kelly as he always focuses on all three phases of the game, Kelly stated this on special teams:

"I think it’s an integral part of the game. Everything is so close in this league that the biggest chunk plays that occur in a game are in special teams. You know, you look at the Super Bowl. The biggest play in the Super Bowl was the punt return. It’s a key factor and I think I’ve always put a huge emphasis on it, whether I was at the college level or in the NFL in terms of what we can do and it’s really, a lot of times, the determining factor in winning and losing. So, I think it’s integral to be in all of those."

Special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II will be in handling the special teams, but the real man in charge will be Chip Kelly. 49ers fans should be excited for what Chip brings on special teams.

Staff

His staff will be compromised of:

Quick note: Joe Bowden former Rams assistant Linebackers coach has replaced Hardy Nickerson as the inside linebackers coach as Nickerson took a position as defensive coordinator at the University of Illinois.

Sports Science

Yes I'm talking about those notorious smoothies!! All jokes aside, with the up tempo no huddle offense, players can become fatigued and have their bodies wear down over the course of game and season. This is where Chip comes in, with his revolutionary innovated sport science. Having people in charge of knowing the biological makeup of every player, knowing when their water levels are down, their sleep patterns, properly treating and diagnosing injuries, recommending a customized food diet to each individual player and numerous more thing. Players will prevent and recover faster from injuries, recover from fatigue and the toll a game takes on you; it all helps players consistently play at peak performance.

The Culture

What does every NFL player play the game for? They play this game to win the grandest prize of them all, the chance to win the Super Bowl and to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy. Chip Kelly epitomizes what the game is about and it's goal, he truly wants to go out each and every single day to improve his players, as teammates, and himself as a coach; so at the end of the day, his team is the one holding up that trophy and headed to Disney. He wants a strong locker room thats filled up with teamates who love to play the game of football and willing to sacrifce everything on the line for eachother. Perseverance to be the best is what he will demand from everyone in the 49ers organization, thats truly a man I can admire.

These are the things Chip Kelly brings to the Niners organization, a man that can install a productive system in all three phases of the game, install revolutionary sports science, and instill an excellent culture within the organization. With that being said, he is no slouch in finding talent within the draft or free agency. I'm optimistic about our new head coach and I know even if he does not find that instant success as another former head coach, I truly know he's out there doing everything in his will power to improve the team, and he will die doing so.

Bring in the Rookies

The draft, the night so many young men dream about, a night that is built on sweat, tears, blood, and the thousands of hours these young men have put in to become an NFL player. Coming into the 2016 NFL draft, the 49ers held a high 12 draft picks; but ended up selecting 11 after trading back up into the first round. Man did the Niners and Trent Balke have a solid to great draft! I know judgement of how well the team's draft was should be reserved till 3 years or more, but after watching tape on each upcoming rookie am I excited about the future of the 49ers organization. Here's a rundown of each pick by order, a quick analysis and what I like about each individual.

1st Round

Deforest Buckner (DL) (7th overall Pick)

What a defensive stud, that is what Oregon Duck (DL) Deforest Buckner simply is. I thoroughly loved this pick, for one, Buckner pairs up and joins former University of Oregon teammate Arik Armstead and former coach Jerry Azzinaro; he has finesse, raw power, height (6'7"), and athleticism all combined into one body. His toughness and nastiness is what I love about him, according Pro Football Focus, he had a (+43.8) pass rushing grade, first among all college defensive line players! Homerism aside, I truly believe he will be the best defensive player to come out of this draft and soon be a starter on the 49ers. Here's a link to his highlights, please grab some popcorn and watch them!

Joshua Garnett (G) (28th Overall Pick)

Best Guard in the draft, Garnett is a stud as a run blocker. Has great fundamentals and High football IQ, which translates well into learning a whole new offensive scheme. His power, the raw power Joshua Garnett has, is unbelievable at times, I mean look at this play for yourself! He has a mean streak on the field and loves to run through defenders, that is exactly what Chip Kelly wants from a guard in terms of run blocking. In terms of pass blocking, he is not the best, but is constantly improving. I truly believe Joshua Garnett will be a starter at some point this coming season. Here's a link to his highlights, amazing!

3rd Round

Will Redmond (CB) (68th Overall Pick)

Was projected to be a top corner-back in the 2016 NFL, but a torn ACL in his 2015 campaign made GMs in the NFL cautious of taking him. When healthy, he has great footwork, excellent quickness and showed great man to man coverage. Redmond while being great at man to man coverage is also a solid zone defender. Will Redmond can prove to be a steal if he recovers to his former play, I certainly will be watching him come training camp. Here's a link to his highlights.

4th Round

Rashard Robinson (CB) (133rd Overall Pick)

I loved this pick! Although Rashard Robinson faced off the field issues into him being ultimately kicked of LSU (issues he was not found guilty of), he was an upcoming star. He has it all, the length you want in a corner-back, the height, the speed, long arms and athleticism. Although he needs to up his weight, I believe Rashard Robinson can be a future star at corner-back. Look out for him in training camp. Here's a link to his highlights, watch the origin of a future star.

5th Round

Ronald Blair (DL) (142nd Overall Pick)

What a steal! Ronald Blair is a player I loved, he will put everything on the line and is willing to die for his teammate, he is a selfless player and will fit in well within the culture Chip Kelly wants. Trent Balke knows how to pick his defensive player, and I do believe Ronald Blair will be that player GM's will regret not drafting. He is a play-maker, with fast feet and quick burst, although he must become stronger, Blair will put in the work. Trust me watch his Clemson tape, basically unarguable! Here is some more highlights.

John Theus (OL) (145th Overall Pick)

Solid senior coming out of the University of Georgia, he has good Height, good hands, Theus has good balance and instinctiveness. His knock is that he is not strong and will require strength at the next level; I believe that Theus may not ever be a starter, but he'll be a solid backup.

Fahn Cooper (OL) (174th Overall Pick)

Tackle from Ole Miss, he has tremendous strength and toughness to his game. His head coach praised about Cooper's leadership and size. Although his athlethism is not where you'd like it to be, I think its a good pickup in terms of depth, I can possibly see Cooper as starter in the future, but he has to be willing to put in the work and game prep, as he lacks athleticism to cover up his mistakes.

Round 6

Jeff Driskel (QB) (207th Overall Pick)

Man is this kid fast!! Jeff Driskel the QB from Lousiana Tech ran a 4.53 40, which is amazingly fast for a QB. Has a quick release on the ball, has terrific accuracy with the ball, and good body measures. Although his time as Flordia Gator had bitter results, his time at Lousina Tech, he did excellent and exelled as the leader. Driskel is a project QB for Chip Kelly, and thats okay, if he doesn't improve and flames out, it was a 6th round pick, but if he lives to his potential, look out NFL. Here's his highlights, you can already see his potential in the NFL.

Kelvin Taylor (RB) (211th Overall Pick)

Easily one of my draft crushes after watching his tape. Taylor is not the strongest nor the fastest on the field, but the guy has heart and a tremendous attitude. He can pass block well, has quick feet,incredible vision for a running back, good balance, quick cuts, and is able to catch well. One stat to get every 49er fan excited, he never fumbled in his entire collegiate career as a Forida Gator! He is an absolute work horse, who listens to anything and everything a coach has to say, I will not be suprised if he becomes a star. Watch his highlights please, you'll fall in love!

Aaron Burbridge (WR) (213th Overall Pick)

Big 10 reciever of the year and team MVP of Michigan State. Connor Cook's favorite target over the course of the season. Big bodied receiver who can block well, which suits for Chip Kelly's running game. Although he has trouble separating from corners, he knows how to catch contested balls. Here is his highlights, you'll be able to see his fantastic catching abilities.

Round 7

Prince Charles Iworah (CB)

Had great pro day numbers, I mean the man ran a 4.32 in his 40, which is incredibly fast. I don't think he'll make it as CB, but his niche to make the team will be on special teams. Hopefull he finds a way to contribute to the team.

Undrafted Rookie Free Agents Signed

According to 49ers.com: The 49ers have signed 12 undrafted free agents: LB Kevin Anderson, OL Alex Balducci, S Jered Bell, WR Devon Cajuste, DL Demetrius Cherry, LB Jason Fanaika, LB Lenny Jones, DL Darren Lake, K John Lunsford, OL Blake Muir, OL Norman Price and WR Bryce Treggs.

Free Agents Signed

According 49ers.com:

1. 04/04/2016 The 49ers have re-signed DT Tony Jerod-Eddie to a one-year deal.
2. 03/23/2016 The 49ers have signed NT Ian Williams to a one-year contract.
3. 03/22/2016 The 49ers have signed G Zane Beadles to a three-year contract.
4. 03/14/2016 The 49ers have re-signed K Phil Dawson to a one-year deal.
5. 03/10/2016 The 49ers have signed QB Thad Lewis to a one-year deal.
6. 03/08/2016 The 49ers have signed LB Ray-Ray Armstrong to a one-year extension.
7. 03/08/2016 The 49ers have tendered one-year contracts to OL Jordan Devey and LB Michael Wilhoite.
8. 03/02/2016 The 49ers have signed RB Shaun Draughn to a one-year contract extension.
9. 02/24/2016 The 49ers have signed DL Quinton Dial to a three-year contract extension.
10. 02/23/2016 The 49ers have signed TE Garrett Celek to a four-year contract extension.
11. 01/21/2016 The 49ers have signed WR Eric Rogers to a two-year deal.

Top Headlines Heading into Training Camp

With training camp starting July 31st, here is what to watch for:

QB Competition: Who's going to be the starting QB for the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert (Yo Gabba Gabba)? This should be an exciting battle, may the best man win

O-Line Competition: Whos going to fill the gaping holes? We know Left tackle Joe Staley will start, but with struggles on the offensive line last year and so many new players, it should be exciting to see who wins the starting jobs. Anthony Davis unretired, so that should be intresting to watch.

Secondary Competition: We know Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea will take the starting saftey spots, but with talented secondary players the rest of the positions are up for grabs. Be on the look out for cornerback Jimmy Ward, saftey Jaquiski Tartt and are plethora of talented secondary defenders, to see who takes the starting spots.

WR Competition: Torrey Smith should take the starting receiver role, but after that its an open competition. Watch out for names such as Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton, Eric Rogers, DeAndrew White, and DeAndre Smelter. This should be a good battle of who steps up to take the starting role.

Carlos Hyde: With Running Back Carlos Hyde healthy, he should again show his elite running ability and shedding tackle ability in pre-season. I am excited to see Carlos Hyde in action, as he is a star when healthy.

Schedule

Overall Thoughts

The 49ers, once a team filled with glory and trophies, sits at the bottom looking up. The media thinks the teams is one of the worst on paper, headlines talk about letting Jim Harbaugh was the worst decision of the organization (I disagree), we are the punchline to thousands of jokes and they continue to say we'll be the same again this season, I say nay.

They say we're untalented, I say we're young and unproven. Heart and the willingness to put in the time to improve is something you can't put on paper, which is certainly what the young 49er players are doing. We have a new coach, who is invested with every ounce of his body to improve this team from top to bottom. This season, the odds are stacked against us, even though I'm optimistic, I have to be realistic, nothing will be given to us easy as we play in a tough division, but who doesn't love a challenge. The 49ers are on the right course, although we're not at the top; growing with your team, its players as a fan gives you the satisfaction of feeling that euphoria when the team hoists that Lombardi trophy (something Seahawk fans wouldn't know). I like many fans around the country am excited to just watch football again and its glorious amount of screaming, cussing, laughing, and tears that come along with each NFL season. I'll leave you with some familiar words, are you ready for some football?