Fansided

5 reasons Chip Kelly can work with the 49ers

By Nathaniel Reeves

Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins defeated the Eagles, 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi
Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi /

There is still some talent left on defense

Many of San Francisco’s losses in the offseason came on the defensive side of the ball to weaken a unit that had previously led the team to three straight NFC Championship Games. After losing key players such as Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Justin Smith to retirement, the 49ers were expected to struggle defensively.

While the unit wasn’t as good as in the Harbaugh era, San Francisco still managed to finish with respectable numbers defensively. The 49ers surrendered 24.2 points per game to rank 17th in the NFL according to TeamRankings and generally seemed to improve as the season went on.

Despite all the early retirements, there is still some talent on the San Francisco defense. NaVorro Bowman’s return to form following a horrific knee injury was the highlight of the 49ers’ season, while others like Aaron Lynch look promising.

Fortunately for Kelly, the situation on the defensive side of the ball is not nearly as desperate as the offense, which should help him be successful. With Kelly’s seemingly inevitable improvements on offense and a defense with enough talent to play at a decent level, the 49ers could get back in contention soon enough.

That’s why Kelly’s defensive coordinator hire will be absolutely critical for him to work out with the 49ers. There are some intriguing names available for Kelly to choose from, including Mike Pettine and Jim Schwartz, although the latter would require some different personnel.

Next: A high draft pick to kick off a rebuild

Home/NFL