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Current Record: 1-6

Taking over as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, my first move would be to remove Chip Kelly and his entire coaching staff.

Kelly's offense didn't work after the first season in Philadelphia, and once again it's being proved that his defenses cannot keep up with the quick turnover a bad offense presents them. Kelly, Jim O'Neil and the whole crew can relocate to Eugene, Oregon.

Replacing Kelly, the 49ers need a smart, strong head coach with the credibility to convince the old Jim Harbaugh players he knows what's going on. Josh McDaniels is the coach I would break the bank for.

McDaniels learned from his mistakes in Denver and has orchestrated one of the NFL's best offenses in New England—even without Tom Brady under center. As offensive coordinator, McDaniels would bring Brian Daboll from the Patriots staff (currently tight ends coach) to assist in running the offense.

As defensive coordinator, former Patriot Mike Vrabel—who interviewed for the job last summer, according to to the Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows—would be the pick. Transitioning to a 4-3 defense, something Vrabel has played in and coached, would be the first priority given the presence of defensive tackles Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner alongside defensive end Aaron Lynch.

As for rebuilding this horrible roster, it has to begin and end with the draft no matter how much money the 49ers have under the cap. Recruiting free agents is all fine and good, but the temptation to empty the bank on high-caliber players never works. Look at Jacksonville as a prime example of that. Good teams win through the draft, and McDaniels knows that.

The 49ers are projected to be around $38 million under the cap before any roster moves, so there will be some spending, but to get this team back to greatness the path must be three to five years of good drafting to build the foundation on both sides of the ball. As you'll see below, my path wouldn't be throwing money and draft picks at a quarterback (at least early on) but instead investing heavily in defensive players with upside and offensive players who can contribute immediately.

Blue-Chip Players: T Joe Staley

Available Cap Space (projected after cuts): $67 million

Roster Moves