Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

4 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

4 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

4 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

5 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

5 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

5 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

5 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

5 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

5 days ago
NFC Champion 49ers Hope Roster Stability Pays Dividends
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
May 11, 2020

Share

For all the focus on the big names that left San Francisco this offseason like longtime left tackle Joe Staley and defensive anchor DeForest Buckner, the reality is the 49ers will look much the same in 2020.

“The continuity obviously is for sure an advantage. There’s a lot of turnover every year in the NFL because that’s just the nature of the business. Us having a lot of the same people in the building this year will be good for us, having that chemistry and being familiar with one another.” — linebacker Fred Warner

The defending NFC champion Niners are returning 18 of 22 starters from a team that fell one quarter short of winning it all, the type of continuity that could be especially crucial during this virtual offseason.

While many teams are trying to install new systems or get several new players up to speed while teams are spread out around the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 49ers are mostly intact.

“The continuity obviously is for sure an advantage,” linebacker Fred Warner said this week. “There’s a lot of turnover every year in the NFL because that’s just the nature of the business. Us having a lot of the same people in the building this year will be good for us, having that chemistry and being familiar with one another.”

The 49ers’ ability to bring back so many key pieces began even before last season ended when defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was beaten out for the head coaching in Cleveland by Kevin Stefanski, ensuring that San Francisco wouldn’t have to replace a coordinator.

The biggest loss happened at the start of the league’s business season when Buckner was traded to Indianapolis for a first-round pick, leaving a void in the middle of the defensive line.

But that deal also enabled general manager John Lynch to retain two other key defensive starters in lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward.

Only Three Teams Have Bounced Back From the Disappointment of a Loss to Win It All the Following Year

Receiver Emmanuel Sanders left for New Orleans early in free agency and right guard Mike Person was released, but every other starter is set to return, which is paying dividends already.

“It’s really important to have that continuity right now in these times because having everything the same for the veteran guys, the guys that have been part of the offense, defense, the special teams last year, all those installs are going to be the same or mostly the same,” left guard Laken Tomlinson said. “Coaches can really focus on coaching the rookies coming in and making sure they’re on the same page. The veterans can help with the learning process in that sense. Just having the majority of the team coming back, I think is going to be a winning edge for this team in this phase.”

The 49ers hope that kind of continuity can help them avoid the trap that has befallen so many other Super Bowl runners-up over the years.

Only three teams have bounced back from the disappointment of a loss in the title game to win it all the following year, with Dallas and Miami doing it in back-to-back seasons in 1971-72 and the New England Patriots in 2018.

Eight other Super Bowl losers returned to the game the next season only to lose again, including Buffalo three times. But 15 of the past 33 teams that lost in the Super Bowl failed to even make it back to the playoffs the following year, including the Los Angeles Rams this past season.

The Niners Believe They Found Some Capable Replacements

While many of those teams lost more pieces than the Niners, the ones that did leave San Francisco were big ones. Buckner was the leader of the team’s top position unit at defensive line with his relentless play.

Sanders sparked the passing game when he arrived midway through last season, bringing out the best in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

“Losing him as a leader, we’ll have to figure out how to step up and fill that void,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “He was the third down D-line play-caller, he was the hype speech guy, he was everything. … We’ll have to step up.”

Sanders sparked the passing game when he arrived midway through last season, bringing out the best in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Staley had been a fixture at left tackle for more than a decade, bringing both experience and a high level of play before a neck injury ended his career.

But the Niners believe they found some capable replacements with first-round defensive tackle Jevon Kinlaw, first-round receiver Brandon Aiyuk and seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, who was acquired in a draft-day trade from Washington.

Williams comes in with a level of familiarity, having played for coach Kyle Shanahan for four seasons in Washington. The rookies will have a harder time, although the process should be made easier because the veterans can offer plenty of help.

“A lot of onus does come on us and the coaching staff and everybody else involved,” Warner said. “We need to make sure they’re up to speed and have the right mindset heading into training camp when that time comes.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

DON'T MISS

Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Trump Executive Order Seeks End to Wind and Solar Energy Subsidies

DON'T MISS

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

DON'T MISS

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

DON'T MISS

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

DON'T MISS

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

DON'T MISS

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

DON'T MISS

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

UP NEXT

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

UP NEXT

Boxer Chavez Jr Expected to Be Deported to Mexico to Serve Sentence, Mexican President Says

UP NEXT

How Wimbledon Is Tackling Its Hottest Opening on Record

UP NEXT

Wonderdog Still Barking: Justin Wilson Thrives With Boston Red Sox

UP NEXT

Trump Administration Orders CA to Strip Trans Athlete of Medals

UP NEXT

Thunder Cap Incredible Season by Beating Pacers for NBA Title

UP NEXT

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

UP NEXT

The Secret to Finding the Best Travel Bargains

UP NEXT

Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 Levels Up With Four Days of Deals Starting July 8

UP NEXT

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get a 400% Pay Raise

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

9 hours ago

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

9 hours ago

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

9 hours ago

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

9 hours ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

9 hours ago

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

9 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

9 hours ago

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

11 hours ago

Tulare County Seizes 300 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Over Fourth of July

11 hours ago

US Proposes Rules That Could Boost Oil, Gas Output in US West

11 hours ago

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told President Donald Trump he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace ...

8 hours ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during a bilateral dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured), at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
8 hours ago

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
8 hours ago

Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

A wind farm is shown in Movave, California, U.S., November 8, 2019. (Reuter File)
8 hours ago

Trump Executive Order Seeks End to Wind and Solar Energy Subsidies

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testifies before a Senate Appropriations hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Education, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

United States Department of Veterans Affairs logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

A group of search and rescue workers paddle a boat in the Guadalupe River in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Sergio Flores)
9 hours ago

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

9 hours ago

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

Attendees visit the 23andMe booth at the RootsTech annual genealogical event in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., February 28, 2019. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend