NFC champion 49ers hope roster stability pays dividends
For all the focus on the big names that left San Francisco this offseason like longtime left tackle Joe Staley and defensive anchor DeForest Buckner, the reality is the 49ers will look much the same in 2020.
The defending NFC champion Niners are returning 18 of 22 starters from a team that fell one quarter short of winning it all, the type of continuity that could be especially crucial during this virtual offseason.While many teams are trying to install new systems or get several new players up to speed while teams are spread out around the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 49ers are mostly intact.
“The continuity obviously is for sure an advantage,” linebacker Fred Warner said this week. “There’s a lot of turnover every year in the NFL because that’s just the nature of the business. Us having a lot of the same people in the building this year will be good for us, having that chemistry and being familiar with one another.”
The 49ers’ ability to bring back so many key pieces began even before last season ended when defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was beaten out for the head coaching in Cleveland by Kevin Stefanski, ensuring that San Francisco wouldn’t have to replace a coordinator. The biggest loss happened at the start of the league’s business season when Buckner was traded to Indianapolis for a firstround pick, leaving a void in the middle of the defensive line.But that deal also enabled general manager John Lynch to retain two other key defensive starters in lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward.
Receiver Emmanuel Sanders left for New Orleans early in free agency and right guard Mike Person was released, but every other starter is set to return, which is paying dividends already.
“It’s really important to have that continuity right now in these times because having everything the same for the veteran guys, the guys that have been part of the offense, defense, the special teams last year, all those installs are going to be the same or mostly the same,” left guard Laken Tomlinson said. “Coaches can really focus on coaching the rookies coming in and making sure they’re on the same page. The veterans can help with the learning process in that sense. Just having the majority of the team coming back, I think is going to be a winning edge for this team in this phase.”