The 49ers came close last season to adding another Lombardi trophy to their collection and this season it is Super Bowl or bust for the storied franchise.
The team was not that busy in the off-season and it did not need to be with how close they came to winning the Super Bowl last season.
Odds to win NFC West: +100
Odds to win NFC: +500
Odds to win Super Bowl: +900
Key Additions: DT Javon Kinlaw was the 14th pick in the first round and the team is hoping he can fill the void with the departed DT DeForest Buckner.
The 49ers also used their second first-round pick to take WR Brandon Aiyuk and he and addition WR Travis Benjamin could improve a less than stellar WR corps from last season.
T Trent Williams was added, and the All-Pro is hoping a change of scenery in the Bay Area will get him back to being one of the best in the league after a bad breakup with the Redskins.
Key Losses: The loss of star DT DeForest Buckner may hurt but was traded due to salary cap issues. WR Emmanuel Sanders is gone and was never a good fit and RB Matt Breida was let go with the depth San Fran has in the backfield.
Season Preview
The 49ers did not do much in the off-season and did not need to with the Super Bowl team they had last season. While the run game and the defense were the strengths of the team last season, Jimmy Garoppolo still led a passing offense that ranked 13th in the league.
Jimmy G has to bounce back after getting a lot of slack for missing on some big passes late in the Super Bowl.
George Kittle may be the best TE in the league and Deebo Samuel had a solid rookie campaign. The WR corps did add first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk and added Travis Benjamin but the WR corps is still not a great one.
With Breida gone the duo of Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert, who combined for 1,266 rushing yards last season and they played behind a solid offensive line.
That line got better with the addition of Trent Williams. Last season San Fran ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards per game and look for the offense to lean on the run again this season.
The 49ers’ defense allowed the second-fewest yards again and that unit is loaded. The team hopes the 14thpick in the draft Javon Kinlaw can take over right away with the departure of DeForest Buckner, who is one of the best in the game.
Nick Bosa had a great rookie campaign leading the team in sacks and looks to avoid a sophomore slump.
The 49ers have a stacked team again and the big question is will the team have a Super Bowl hangover?
San Fran has a killer stretch in the middle of the season but can get off to a good start with five of their first six games, including their first three, facing teams that did not make the playoffs last season.
Prediction: I don’t see a Super Bowl hangover happening in the Bay Area this season. They are more than solid on both sides of the ball and I see Jimmy G and the strong D leading the team back to the Super Bowl.