The San Francisco 49ers have been eliminated from the playoffs. The team done following a loss to the Seattle Seahawks and now speculation begins over which stars will be back in 2015 and which stars are on their way out via free agency or trade. General manager Trent Baalke has not been shy about his frustration towards the team this year and is preparing to make several changes to the starting lineup prior to the NFL Draft.
Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore will be the first players to have their future's assessed after the next two games. Both players are preparing to enter free agency. The 49ers attempted to negotiate a contract extension with Crabtree during the 2014 offseason, but failed to get a deal done in time. They called off talks during the season and it is likely they will not start them back up.
Crabtree has struggled in a contract year. This was supposed to be the year the wide receiver proved he could be a No. 1 target. Instead, Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson took over that spot, leaving Crabtree to come up short. Heading into Week 15, he was tied for first in the league for dropped passes. He looks out of place in the scheme and while struggling to get open for Colin Kaepernick. All of that could lead to an exit into free agency.
Gore could be next and he knows it. Gore's future was placed in doubt when the 49ers opted to draft Carlos Hyde at the same time they announced the veteran's number of carries would decrease. Hyde has proven he can handle the heavy work load, all but pushing Gore out of the picture. The veteran running back says he is prepare for anything in the offseason.
"I feel great and I know it's a contract year for me," Gore said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. "I still love the game and I feel great and I still want to play the game. I feel like I'm still playing at a high level and you know I'm just coming out here week to week. And if I won't be back here, then I'll show the other teams what I can do. But I want to be back here. I'd love to be back here but they got younger guys. You know how they feel about running backs. That's why each week I go out to play for my team and to play for myself, and also to show other teams I can still be Frank Gore."
The last contract in question belongs to Vernon Davis. In ESPN's Todd McShay's first mock draft of the year, the 49ers select a wide receiver. Does that mean Crabtree is gone and possibly Vernon Davis too? San Francisco's salary cap will be tight this offseason and one big star will be a casualty as a result. Bleacher Report suggests that if San Francisco is not going to properly use Davis in the offense, then they should trade or release him. With the potential exit of Jim Harbaugh in the making, at least two of these three offensive stars might not be returning with him.
