Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.After the uneventful tenure of head coach Mike Nolan, the San Francisco 49ers decided to promote Mike Singletary to interim head coach during the 2008 season.
After a bizarre debut that saw Singletary address his team without pants, the 49ers finished the season on a 5-4 run under their new coach, ending the year with a 7-9 record. Had it not been for a confusing ending to a Monday night game against Arizona, the 49ers would have finished with a .500 record for the first time since 2002. So close, yet so far.
The team's second half performance under Singletary was enough to have the interim tag removed from his title, while the team hired Jimmy Raye to be its new offensive coordinator, replacing Mike Martz after just one season. Could a strong finish, combined with a weak division be enough to push the 49ers to a possible playoff spot in 2009? Looking at it right now, only the Arizona Cardinals stand in their way.
Free agents: Zak Keasey (RFA), J.T. O'Sullivan (UFA), Jamie Martin (UFA), Billy Bajema (UFA), Damane Duckett (UFA), DeShaun Foster (UFA), Roderick Green (UFA), Bryant Johnson (UFA), Allen Rossum (UFA), Sean Ryan (UFA), Takeo Spikes (UFA), Donald Strickland (UFA)
Draft picks: 1 (10), 2 (11), 3 (10), 4 (11), 5 (10), 6 (11), 7 (10)
Needs
1. Wide receiver. The leading receiver for the 49ers in 2008 was 36-year-old Isaac Bruce with 61 catches. Youngsters Jason Hill and Josh Morgan offer some potential, but it's a relatively thin group.
2. Offensive line. Reports out of San Francisco say that the 49ers will not allow troubled offensive tackle Andre Smith to get beyond them, assuming he falls to their first pick at No. 10 overall.
3. Secondary. The 49ers have a lot of money invested in their secondary, but the group struggled statistically in 2008. San Francisco finished 20th against the pass, while only intercepting 12 passes during the season. Only six teams in the NFL recorded fewer picks.
4. Quarterback. After replacing J.T. O'Sullivan, Shaun Hill was impressive down the stretch for San Francisco. It's the second straight year Hill has come off the bench and performed well for the 49ers, but is he a long-term solution? Amazingly, former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith may still be in the mix as well.
5. Running back. How can this be a need with a player like Frank Gore on the roster? Well, apparently the 49ers want another back to help take the load off Gore, especially with Singletary's run-first style of play. Deshaun Foster was the only running back on the roster, other than Gore, to carry the ball more than 20 times in 2008. He averaged a dismal 3.1 yards per carry.
