San Francisco 49ers
Head Coach – Jim Tomsula (1st Year)
Offensive Coordinator – Geep Chryst (1st Year)
Defensive Coordinator – Eric Mangini (1st Year)
Offensive System: New offensive coordinator Geep Chryst is expected to keep a base west coast offense in San Francisco. His history suggests that the 49ers will throw the ball a lot more than they have over the past few years with Greg Roman calling the plays. The front office has requested Colin Kaepernick run the football more going forward but it is unclear how exactly they plan on doing that. The read-option seems like a natural fit for Kaepernick and I am sure that there will be elements of it in the 49ers playbook this season. But Chryst has an awful history of developing QB’s. His QB tree reads like a who’s who of miserable failures including Jake Plummer, Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Leaf. Colin Kaepernick strongly endorsed the promotion of Chryst but most people believe this combination has been a significant part of the problem and not anything resembling a solution.
Volume Report
GEEP CHRYST | 1999 (Chargers) | 2000 (Chargers) | 2014 (49ers) |
Points | 28th | 26th | 25th |
Total Yards | 26th | 28th | 20th |
Pass Attempts | 5th | 6th | 29th |
Pass Yards | 18th | 18th | 30th |
Rush Attempts | 23rd | 28th | 9th |
Rush Yards | 27th | 24th | 4th |
Players That Fit The System: Anquan Boldin, Carlos Hyde, Blaine Gabbert
Defensive System: Eric Mangini is one of the most disliked coaches in the NFL. Just about everybody who has ever played for him or coached beside him tells stories of crazed psychoanalysis, constant backstabbing and a downright sluggish locker room atmosphere. Mangini has spent the last two seasons coaching TE’s in San Francisco and hasn’t been on the defensive side of the ball since he left New England in 2005. Mangini will keep the 49ers 3-4 base defense in tact and try to continue on the success they have had over the past few years. That is going to be a very difficult task without Patrick Willis and quite possibly Justin Smith.
Players That Fit The System: Aldon Smith, NaVorro Bowman
Summary: It’s absolutely laughable at what has become of the San Francisco 49ers. Sure Jim Harbaugh was and is a selfish, arrogant monster of a human being but they did little else to clean a culture that has been tainted for years. There is little doubt that Jim Tomsula double-crossed Harbaugh every chance he got and Eric Mangini has an impressive history of back stabbing as well. Geep Chryst could be one of the lamest hires of the 21st century to this point and that is very sad news for Colin Kaepernick. When you combine this atrocious coaching staff with a significant loss in talent this offseason, you have a recipe for last place in a very tough NFC West in 2015.
Player News
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026