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San Francisco 49ers: Will 2016 Go Down as the Worst Year in Franchise History?
The San Francisco 49ers are in danger of pulling off only one win this season, which would set a franchise low. Is 2016 going to be the worst year in team history?
San Francisco 49ers fans might just want to forget 2016 ever took place.
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Aside from an opening-night Monday Night Football win, which seems like a lifetime ago, the Niners have fallen hard to a 1-13 record with two games left on the calendar.
It’s possible San Francisco upends the scuffling Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, which would put the Niners at a likely two-win team to close out the year. And that mark would tie the 1978, 1979 and 2004 group.
Even if that happens, is this current bunch going to be remembered as the worst ever in franchise history?
Pick a category or stat and, chances are, the 49ers are at or near the bottom. San Francisco’s defense is giving up yards at a record-setting pace, and head coach Chip Kelly’s offense isn’t doing enough to offset the liabilities.
More concerning have been the meltdowns seen in the second half of games this year.
Yes, this team is awful. But despite the record, it might not be as bad as you think.
A Comparison to 2004
Niners Wire columnist Kyle Madson recently broke down a comparison between this year’s 49ers and the 2004 squad.
He pointed out a lot of similarities between that two-win group and this year’s team.
But one of the overlooked aspects was how poor cap management prior to 2004 forced the team to cut a high number of talented players, thus reducing that year’s group to a mere shell of its former glory.
San Francisco is in no such situation now and has $42,701,779 in cap space, according to Over the Cap, and that number is expected to rise next season.
Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins (48) tackles San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
One could view this in a positive or negative light. On one hand, the Niners can spend to make notable improvements. But on the other, their hesitancy to do so has led directly to the roster being in this condition.
At least San Francisco will have the option to spend this offseason — a luxury the team didn’t have in 2004 and 2005.
A Comparison to 1978 and 1979
Two other two-win teams grace our attention — 1978 and 1979. But the failures here can be directly attributed to then-general manager Joe Thomas.
Say what you want about current GM Trent Baalke. But there’s no doubting Thomas was the worse of the two.
December 4, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke walks through the endzone during warm ups before the game against the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Rams 26-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Upon his 1977 hiring by then-owner Eddie DeBartolo, Thomas made plenty of awful moves — including sending a total of five high-level NFL Draft picks for an aging and increasingly ineffective running back, O.J. Simpson.
Those picks, or lack thereof, haunted San Francisco until 1980. Thomas had been dismissed the year before, and DeBartolo tabbed legendary head coach Bill Walsh to replace him. Walsh’s 1979 efforts were valiant at best, but the team still couldn’t cope with the loss of draft-pick capital.
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Walsh eventually turned things around, as we all know. Can this current 49ers team do the same?
The Niners currently have 10 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, not including compensatory selections. Given their record, it’s likely San Francisco has a top-two pick as well.
So yes, it’s entirely feasible the 49ers turn things around. And that would make this embarrassing season a distant memory, just like the 1978, 1979 and 2004 seasons are.
Even if 2016 goes down as the worst in franchise history.
