By all accounts, the vibes on the 49ers are good this offseason.
They haven't had anyone hold out for a better contract. Only one player is projected to miss Week 1, and that's Brandon Aiyuk. The rest of the roster is refreshed after having a longer offseason than usual.
And yet, Bleacher Report still ranks the 49ers just 15th out of 32 teams heading into training camp.
"The Niners always get the benefit of the doubt because of their coaching staff," writes Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski. "However, San Francisco experienced significant roster turnover this offseason, as a way to offset the contract extension signed by quarterback Brock Purdy.
"Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins and Leonard Floyd are all gone.
"The core pieces of Purdy, tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner remain in place--which means the 49ers are still dangerous."
This is a fair ranking.
When Trent Williams is healthy and Christian McCaffrey is playing like the Offensive Player of the Year, the 49ers are hard to beat. But McCaffrey is 29 now, and he's coming off a brutal season in which he missed 13 games due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a torn PCL -- his days as an elite player probably are over.
And without a dominant McCaffrey, the 49ers simply are a mediocre team at best. We saw that last season, and we saw it in 2022 before they traded for him. He is the reason the 49ers went to the Super Bowl in 2023 and the reason they just paid Brock Purdy the big bucks. Purdy couldn't have been the franchise's savior if they hadn't first traded for McCaffrey.
This season depends on CMC.
