If you ask Jed York when there are no cameras around, he might tell you that the San Francisco 49ers miss Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco has cratered since Harbaugh left to take over as the head coach of his alma mater, but things might be looking up. Although the hiring of new GM John Lynch was widely panned, he fleeced Chicago out of some extra picks in this year’s draft and may have found its quarterback of the future in CJ Beathard. San Francisco still has too many holes to be considered a threat to finish above .500, but things are at least trending in the right direction.
NFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Seahawks +444
Green Bay Packers +460
Atlanta Falcons +472
Dallas Cowboys +670
New York Giants +840
Carolina Panthers +1350
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1650
Philadelphia Eagles +1700
Minnesota Vikings +1800
Arizona Cardinals +1853
New Orleans Saints +2405
Detroit Lions +2900
Washington Redskins +3000
Chicago Bears +7500
Los Angeles Rams +8000
San Francisco 49ers +8500
Key Players for Winning the NFC
Carlos Hyde – Hyde doesn’t get mentioned as one of the ten best running backs in the league and that’s a shame. He just might have that kind of talent, but he has been marooned on a bad 49ers team to start his career. The statheads at Football Outsiders love Hyde, listing him just outside of the top five in their running back rankings. To make the leap to the next level, Hyde needs to be more of a receiving threat out of the backfield. He has yet to develop that dynamic and that would not only make him better, but help out his quarterback too.
Trent Brown – Linebacker Von Miller has repeatedly called Brown the best right tackle in the league. Brown was a seventh-round draft pick in 2015, but has played well since joining the 49ers. He is a giant at 6’8 and 355 pounds, but has remarkably quick feet and can set the edge. Brown can struggle in run blocking, but came into camp at his leanest weight ever and seems destined to have a big year.
Pierre Garcon – San Francisco is hoping that Garcon can be the free agent acquisition that Torrey Smith wasn’t at wide receiver. Garcon was a good receiver with the Redskins, but there are some doubts about how effective he can be in his 10th season in the NFL. He already has familiarity with new head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system, spending two years with Shanahan in Washington and will almost assuredly be the team’s No. 1 receiver. San Francisco will need a big year out of him if it wants to surprise anyone.
Reuben Foster – Alabama defensive stars are notorious for not panning out in the pros, but that hasn’t stopped teams from using first-round selections on them. Foster might be the exception that rule. He was talented enough that some teams considered him the third-best player in the draft and the consensus was San Francisco got a steal to get him where it did. Foster has dealt with injuries this training camp, but has flashed in limited opportunities. That was the concern that led him to fall down team’s draft boards. His medical chart raises some red flags and it’s not a good sign that he is already having injury issues. However, he can be a force if he is able to stay on the field.
NaVorro Bowman – This offseason has been a challenging one for Bowman. He tore his Achilles tendon in his fourth game last year and was sidelined for the rest of 2016. As he was rehabbing from his second major injury in three seasons, he found out that the 49ers were switching away from the 4-3 to the 3-4 this year and that he will have to adjust. Bowman has the talent to adjust quickly, but his body may be breaking down. He is the most talented player on this defense when healthy and San Francisco needs him to stay upright in 2017.
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