Most people in this world believe in second chances, and that is certainly the case for the San Francisco 49ers and newly-hired head coach Chip Kelly. It was announced on Thursday afternoon that the 49ers and the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach have agreed to a deal, according to Adam Schefter. There is a lot of intrigue that comes with this move, both for Kelly and the 49ers.
The 49ers are coming off of a 5-11 season in which they finished dead last in the NFC West. For the Niners, many questions need to be answered by the time the 2016 NFL season rolls around. One of those questions involves who their quarterback will be. San Francisco benched struggling quarterback Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Kaepernick once led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, giving the Niners their first ever franchise loss in a Super Bowl.
But the thing with Kaepernick is that he is far too talented to give up on. Another thing that gives Kaepernick more hope that he will play under his new head coach, is the fact that he loves quarterbacks like Kaepernick. Chip Kelly's offense is one that a quarterback with Kaepernick's skillset was made for. Kaepernick is not Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez. He is far more athletic and has great arm strength.
In this writer's opinion, Kaepernick can get back to the success he did enjoy at the pro level if a couple of things work in his favor. One thing that helps in his favor is the hire of Kelly on Thursday. What would also help Kaepernick is if the 49ers put some solid weapons around him on offense.
The 49ers current depth chart includes Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith as the top two wideouts on the Niners roster. With all do respect to Boldin, he is not what he used to be at the ripe age of 35. Yes, Boldin is a great wide receiver when talking about his career numbers and what he has done in the NFL. However, this is no longer a guy that is going to put up 1,400 yards of receiving anymore. While he still is a formidable threat as a wideout, the 49ers will have to get younger at the position if they want to go anywhere soon.
Speaking of young guys, Torrey Smith is a nice start when speaking in terms of youth. He is a guy who has put up over 1,100 yards in a season in the NFL. While doing that once does not prove one's worth, it still speaks to the impact a player like Smith can have. However, he is not a number one wide receiver and that is what the 49ers will need to address this season, amongst other things.
But with all that being said, on the surface this looks as if it will be a good signing for the Niners. Chip Kelly has a good football mind and knows the game very well. He proved it at Oregon, but not so much in his first tenure in the NFL in Philadelphia. But this second chance can work in Kelly's favor as long as ownership and management takes care of their end of the bargain and here is what that means.
In Philadelphia, Kelly made some moves that caused for concern and made people scratch their heads. The trade of LeSean McCoy to sign a guy in DeMarco Murray, who does not fit the mold of Kelly's offensive style, was just one of many. That cannot happen this time around when Kelly heads out West to join San Francisco. The management team needs to build this team and put together the personnel and leave Chip Kelly to just the coaching duties. Murray and Bradford are a running back and quarterback combo that belong in a pro-style offense. That is why Murray had the year he did back in 2014. Hopefully, for the 49ers and Kelly, this move will work out well for them in the end. With the right pieces and personnel put in place for Kelly, things will work out when all is said and done. Second chances are plentiful in this situation and that is exactly what Kaepernick and his new coach have heading into the 2016 NFL season.