The San Francisco 49ers added a number of new players through the draft with Mike Davis, Blake Bell, Rory Anderson and DeAndre Smelter as potential contributors for Colin Kaepernick, while first round pick Arik Armstead could start on defense and this comes as the team has interest in free agent linebacker Lance Briggs.
The 49ers have made a number of changes heading into this season with Jim Tomsula taking over and there has been some turnover on the roster. Frank Gore is now in Indianapolis and the team likely will push Carlos Hyde as the starter, while Torrey Smith signed from Baltimore and now is the number one receiver with Michael Crabtree in Oakland. The draft brought in some new names as well, as the team had seven selections in the first five rounds this year.
According to Pro Football Talk, CSN Bay Area reports that the 49ers remain interested in linebacker Lance Briggs after having some initial talks earlier in the offseason. Briggs remains on the market after playing for the Chicago Bears and he could be a good fit for the 49ers with Chris Borland and Patrick Willis retiring. The team also is dealing with NaVorro Bowman coming off of an injury and adding depth could be a good option for the Niners at linebacker.
With numerous changes on defense and Willis leaving the league, the Niners could use some veteran leadership at linebacker. Briggs has that and while he has dealt with injuries over the past couple years, he could still be a productive player and at a cheap price most likely. The past two seasons Briggs has missed time, but he only missed two games in the previous five seasons and his last two full years he has put up over 100 tackles.
The team is expecting Colin Kaepernick to bounce back from his ho hum 2014 season and the 49ers have brought in some new offensive pieces to help with that. Trent Baalke signed Smith from Baltimore and he could be a strong deep threat for Kaepernick, while Hyde is expected to be used in a feature role with Gore now gone. The team is expecting the rookie class to contribute and with tight end Vernon Davis coming off of his most disappointing season, both Dell and Anderson should get long looks.
Smelter could be a solid option for a third or fourth receiver behind Smith and Anquan Boldin and this comes after Stevie Johnson was let go. The team has high hopes for Davis coming out of South Carolina, as he was a fourth round pick and likely will back up Hyde. Gore has been one of the most consistent running backs in the NFL for the last decade and that puts pressure on Hyde to perform. Davis could split carries with Hyde and the team would benefit greatly from a more versatile rushing attack for Kaepernick.
Bell and Anderson should be contributors this season, as Davis is coming off of a tough year and the team needs more production from the position. Bell is making the change from quarterback to TE from Oklahoma, but he showed with the Sooners that he can be productive and he has great size for the position for the 49ers.