Deebo sends blunt message to 49ers' doubters for 2021 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers' 2020 campaign just keeps getting worse.
San Francisco has been plagued by injuries all season long, turning their expected "Revenge Tour" into a season from hell. The reigning NFC champions sustained another blow Sunday when they lost wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a hamstring injury on the first play of the game. Samuel is not expected to return this season.
A year after going 13-3 and clinching a berth in Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers have been unable to recapture their 2019 dominance due to injuries and inconsistent play. The 49ers' drop-off has led many to believe their run atop the NFC was a flash in the pan, one that won't be recreated even when San Francisco is fully healthy.
Samuel offered a blunt message to those people Tuesday morning on Twitter.
The 49ers undoubtedly will have a number of questions to answer and holes to fill this offseason if they plan to return to the top of the NFC.
San Francisco likely will need to rebuild its secondary, with Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, Jaquaski Tartt and K'Waun Williams all set to hit free agency. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley will be a restricted free agent and the 49ers should bring him back.
NBC Sports
The 49ers also must decide what to do at the quarterback position. Jimmy Garoppolo was inconsistent when healthy and battled two separate high-ankle sprains in what amounts to a lost season. The 49ers can cut Garoppolo for little financial penalty, but they should only do so if they know for sure there is a better option out there. Could that option be in the draft in the form of Mac Jones, Zach Wilson or Kyle Trask? Or will it be a trade for a veteran like Matthew Stafford or Matt Ryan?
If the 49ers don't see a clear-cut better option, it's likely they bring Garoppolo back and chalk up his 2020 struggles to his injury issues.
RELATED: Schrock's takeaways: Stafford's performance shows what he could be with 49ers
The 49ers also will need to address the interior of their offensive line and add another pass rusher to compliment Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. Dee Ford has played in only one game this season, after seeing action in only 22 percent of all defensive snaps in 2019.
Most expect the 49ers to move from Ford, but his contract will make that difficult. A trade before June 1 would see the 49ers hit with a dead cap penalty of $14.35 million while only saving $6.43 million in salary cap. If they can wait to trade Ford until after June 1, they would save $16 million in cap space while only being hit with a $4.78 dead cap hit.
The tricky part will be finding a taker for the oft-injured Ford. Even if the 49ers are unable to get out from under Ford's contract, they will need to find a more reliable edge rusher to pair with Bosa.
The 49ers still will return a great offensive arsenal led by Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. The defense should remain solid even with the impending changes to the secondary. Whether it's Garoppolo or someone else taking the snaps under center, Shanahan's brilliance as a play-caller should instill faith that the offense will once again be among the NFL's most dynamic attacks when fully operational.
San Francisco is set to become the sixth Super Bowl loser in the last 11 years to miss the playoffs the season after being defeated with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.
But the season from hell will end, and the 49ers will be even more motivated to prove their doubters wrong in 2021.
