The San Francisco 49ers will usher in the Chip Kelly era in 2016 so it promises to be a season of change in the Bay Area. There is plenty of work to be done with the 49ers coming off a 5-11 season and a last-place finish in the NFC West.
Kelly's reputation as an offensive mastermind already had led to widespread speculation on how he will handle an unsettled situation at quarterback, but he also faces a number of other roster decisions. Here are five players the 49ers need to move on from in 2016.
1. Colin Kaepernick
The popular belief is that Kelly's offensive wizardly will resurrect the career of Kaepernick, who on paper seems to be an ideal quarterback for the new coach's fast-break attack. The Kaepernick who burst upon the scene as a starter in 2012 ran like a gazelle, had a cannon for an arm and presented breathtaking two-way skills for defenses to contend with. The Kaepernick of 2015 was a decidedly different quarterback, albeit with a far-less-talented supporting cast.
Kaepernick admitted he was tentative in taking shots downfield and was hesitant to bolt the pocket, failing to have a rushing attempt for the first time in his career in a loss to Seattle before he was finally benched in early November. There also are Kaepernick's myriad health issues. He's undergone surgery for a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, a torn ligament in his right thumb and an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in the past three months. Coupled with the fact that Kaepernick's $11.9 million contract is guaranteed if he's on the roster on April 1, Kelly should look elsewhere to wield his magic.
2. Ahmad Brooks
Brooks did manage to tie for the team lead with Aaron Lynch with 6 1/2 sacks in 2015, so the veteran outside linebacker is still a productive player. However, he has also drawn the wrath of the team's coaching staff due to a lack of discipline on more than one occasion over the past two seasons, leading to multiple benchings. Age and a fat paycheck are working against Brooks with his 11th NFL season on the horizon. Brooks will turn 32 in March and has a cap number of $9.6 million -- the second-highest behind Kaepernick -- if he remains on the team. Given that the 49ers are bereft of talent at so many positions and Kelly's penchant for turning over a roster, it would be stunning if Brooks was not cut loose.
Anquan Boldin led the San Francisco 49ers with 69 receptions in 2015.
3. Anquan Boldin
Perhaps the league's toughest receiver and a consummate pro, Boldin not only led the team in receptions by a wide margin with 69, but he also provided a needed locker room presence during a season of turmoil. Boldin is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent and the 49ers are starved for help at wide receiver -- Torrey Smith ranked second on the team with 33 catches -- but it's hard to imagine San Francisco making much of an offer to retain a player who will turn 36 early in the 2016 season.
4. Glenn Dorsey
The veteran defensive tackle was among the bright spots along the interior line before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 11. His three years with San Francisco have been marred by injury, with a torn biceps sidelining him for the entire 2014 season. The No. 5-overall pick by Kansas City in the 2008 draft, Dorsey also was limited to four games in 2012 during his final season with the Chiefs. At age 30 and coming off a major knee injury, Dorsey has a cap hit of $2.77 million on his two-year contract extension that runs through next season.
5. Alex Boone
Boone, set to become an unrestricted free agent, is in a similar situation to that of Dorsey health-wise. He has been a mainstay of an offensive line that struggled mightily in 2015. Boone started all but one game in a four-year span (2011-2014) but saw his season come to an end when he suffered a torn MCL in Week 14. Coming off the injury and having made nearly $3.5 million last season, Boone is likely to field better offers elsewhere as the 49ers work to fill a number of voids.
*All salary cap information comes from spotrac.com.
