The 49ers are out of playoff contention following their Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns and, with the season practically over, thoughts should turn to the development of the young players on the roster and to the 2016 draft, where San Francisco has many needs to fill.
Following a miserable season, the Niners could well end 2015 with a top-five pick in the first round and be in a position to bring in a top-tier talent.
However, this is a 49ers team with a huge amount of holes to fill in the offseason, and general manager Trent Baalke – presuming he is still in his role – has a difficult job on his hands in the coming months and will need to use San Francisco’s projected $40.