With Chip Kelly now inserted as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, many players are wondering what direction the team will be headed in. With major improvements needed in the defense while several players have expiring contracts, Kelly has a lot of work to get done this offseason. Anquon Boldin is one of those veteran players with an expiring contract and while he would love a return to the Bay Area, he wants to see what Kelly does with the team first.
When the 49ers' season ended, Boldin made it clear that he intended to keep playing football and he would like for it to be with San Francisco as his contract expires. Boldin was a solid player for the team this season and there is no doubt that could continue in 2016. However, Boldin is curious about where the 49ers are headed under Kelly. It is no secret that some players have had issues with the head coach during his time in Philadelphia. Players like DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy have been vocal about their dislike of Kelly. Boldin has spoken with the head coach, but is going to wait and see how things pan out.
"I think everybody is," Boldin said, via CSNBayArea.com. "I think it's always that way when you have a new coach coming in. Everybody is curious about a number of different things, so we'll see how that plays out."
The biggest question mark right now for the 49ers is the future of the quarterback position which could play a large role in whether or not Boldin comes back. The team has Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert under contract, but only one of the quarterbacks is expected to return next year. Kaepernick has been the assumed player to be released, but ESPN.com is reporting that might not be the case. Regardless, the 49ers are looking at options which could include Johnny Manziel.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it is not crazy to think that Manziel will be a target for Kelly upon his likely release from the Cleveland Browns. Manziel is the prototypical quarterback Kelly likes to have in his offense and the head coach has admitted to being a fan of the former Texas A&M star who was at one point recruited to Oregon. The 49ers could likely get Manziel for very cheap and use him as either backup or potential starter.
The Chronicle believes Robert Griffin III could also be a target for Kelly, but he appears to be a bigger fan of Manziel. Griffin is also the type of quarterback Kelly likes. He thinks on the run while moving well outside the pocket and taking a gamble or two. Both players would likely be brought on as backups to either Kaepernick or Gabbert as drafting a quarterback does not appear to be in the plans right now.
