The San Francisco 49ers are entering a bounce-back season as quarterback Colin Kaepernick comes under heavy pressure this upcoming season. With the quarterback needing to improve after some would say he got exposed last season, the 49ers have done their best to try and add talent around him to help aid in success. However, with training camp just around the corner, could one or two more additions still be on the way?
At this point in the NFL offseason, the best free agent still on the market is Evan Mathis. After getting released from the Philadelphia Eagles following contract demands, the Pro Bowl offensive lineman is still waiting on a contract. Mathis is expected to sign with a team and play in the upcoming season, it just remains to be seen where he will land. Could San Francisco be an option?
According to ESPN's John Clayton, the 49ers remain interested in Mathis so long as his contract demands are not out of contract. With Mike Iupati gone in free agency and Anthony Davis retiring the roster spot for Mathis is certainly there. Represented by Drew Rosenhaus, Mathis' contract demands could be getting in the way of a deal happening. The 49ers have done plenty of work with his agent in the past and might be in the best position to get a contract in place.
The 49ers need as many playmakers as possible on the team in order to help Kaepernick. The quarterback has been facing trade rumors this offseason as many believe if he fails to make the jump in 2015 he could be headed out of the Bay Area. According to offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, Kaepernick was not as bad as everyone said he was last year and the team has full confidence in his abilities.
"Last year, you're playing with some different sets of challenges," Chryst said, via the San Jose Mercury News. "There was more change within the offensive line than he had experienced the last couple of years. How does that affect your production as a quarterback? You're behind more often in games. How does that affect your production as a quarterback? I cite the fact that we had six touchdowns nullified by penalty. You plug that back into his formula, he really wasn't ... he didn't regress off his line as much as perceived."
The 49ers added talent in Reggie Bush and Torrey Smith while losing Frank Gore to the Indianapolis Colts. Those additions should help Kaepernick excel. According to the San Mercury News, the 49ers could still add one more playmaker like Wes Welker or James Jones during training camp while NFL.com is reporting Vernon Davis is a roster bubble player as he enters the final year of his contract. The 49ers certainly have their work cut out for them.