The 49ers Should Use these Final Games to Test their Younger Players for 2021
The 49ers have yet to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, but would need a lot of luck to see the postseason.
At this point, the idea of tanking for draft picks seems to enter the conversation. Yet, NFL coaches trying to build a winning culture (like Kyle Shanahan) don’t tank. Ask Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who fought to 8-8 last season and now lead the AFC North.
What they can and should do, however, is look toward 2021 by “constructively” sucking.
Constructive sucking changes nothing in effort. The eliminated team remains focused on winning every game, but plans with their future in mind.
This happens in Major League Baseball all the time. A team gets eliminated with a week to go, so they start their 24-year-old rookie rather than their 29-year-old free agent.
It’s time for the 49ers to follow a similar path. They should see if any other young guys are fit for larger roles in 2021.
Here are some players that the 49ers should experiment with:
Defensive line —
Javon Kinlaw needs more reps. He’s really come on strong this last half of the season.
Kevin Givens could be a starter next year. He has outplayed D.J. Jones and Arik Armstead. He should start once he’s back.
Jordan Willis underwhelmed with previous teams, but has shown flashes with San Francisco. Go see if he can grab hold of that Ronald Blair “sixth man” role.
Darrion Daniels and Josiah Coatney are both rookie nose tackles. See if either can provide a much cheaper alternative to free-agent-to-be Jones.
Offensive line —
Justin Skule was overpowered by Green Bay’s pass rush. He’s not a starting left tackle. Why not try him at right tackle the last few weeks? Can he really be that much of a downgrade? If Skule struggles, at least Shanahan knows he must get a backup tackle this offseason.
Dakoda Shepley was among the best rookies in the CFL in 2019. See if he can grab hold of the revolving door at right guard. He can’t be worse than Colton McKivitz or Tom Compton.
Tight end —
Charlie Woerner played a season-high 24 offensive snaps against Washington, but he wasn’t targeted until four minutes left in the game. He looked like a capable receiver against Buffalo. Maybe Shanahan should get him involved earlier next week.
Fullback —
Josh Hokit is a rookie fullback from Fresno State on the practice squad. Why do the 49ers have a fullback on the practice squad if not for Kyle Jusczcyk insurance?
Juszczyk is a key part of the offense, but will be a free agent this offseason. If Hokit can provide anything of substance, the 49ers would save money toward the cap by letting Juszczyk walk.
In the much more likely scenario, Hokit struggles and the 49ers learn he is not an alternative. They could then use that practice squad spot for a position in actual need of depth (especially when Ross Dwelley played fullback just fine in Juszczyk’s absence).
Wide receiver —
Shawn Poindexter is a 6’5 wide receiver that’s been learning the system for two years. There’s no way he can’t provide what River Cracraft does. If Deebo Samuel misses any more time, Poindexter would be an interesting complement to Brandon Aiyuk.
Poindexter is no sure thing. He arrived as an experiment and is still on that trajectory. But why not find out what he can do in a game? What’s the worst that can happen? That defenses treat him like Cracraft? Shanahan should activate Poindexter.
Defensive back —
Tim Harris is an unknown commodity. It’s time to see if he is a capable fourth-string corner.
Why pretend any further that Dontae Johnson or Ahkello Witherspoon are a part of the future? It was understandable to play veterans the past two games, but now it’s time to test the unproven.
The 49ers should see if Harris can help in dollar/dime defenses, or at least try him out at gunner.
Bay Area fans may remember when the 2017 Oakland A’s were out of the playoff hunt. They moved on from veterans and called up their young guys for the final two months of the season. This provided valuable experience for Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Chad Pinder and Frankie Montas, who all played big roles in the A’s making the postseason the next three years.
Yes, the 2020 49ers season was a disappointment. Injuries and underperforming veterans were just some of the reasons for the struggles.
But like the 2017 A’s, the 49ers can still use this time to get better with 2021 in mind. There was no preseason in 2020. Now’s the time for the 49ers to test the back end of their roster.
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