The NFL lockout has dampened the usual offseason analysis of each team's comings and goings. But, lockout or not, the league will still be moving on at some point -- hopefully in time for the regular season to start on time Sept. 8. And during the labor impasse, USA TODAY will focus back on the field by breaking down the five biggest questions facing each team for the 2011 season.

Up today: The San Francisco 49ers

1. How big a job does Jim Harbaugh have to build a winner?

The 49ers Harbaugh inherited over the winter are far from the model of success the franchise once was. Between 1981 and 1998, the Niners only missed the playoffs twice (1982, 1991) while winning five Super Bowls. Today's team is closer to laughingstock than juggernaut. Only three teams have a longer playoff drought than San Francisco's eight seasons -- the Bills, Lions and Texans. The 49ers haven't even had a winning season since 2002, a dubious achievement that cut even deeper last year when they flamed out on preseason playoff projections under the since-fired Mike Singletary and finished 6-10. Now Harbaugh is launching his first pro head coaching job in what is undoubtedly the NFL's easiest division. Consider: Even with their 6-10 record last year, the 49ers didn't fall out of contention until Week 16 and finished just a game behind NFC West winner Seattle. So if Harbaugh can inject confidence into a roster already boasting a strong talent base, there is a fairly achievable path to postseason ... assuming he has requisite time once the lockout ends to acclimate players to his program. "This is the start of a new generation," GM Trent Baalke said when he hired Harbaugh. "What we have to do is bring back the culture of winning. He's a guy who can lead the 49ers franchise back to where it rightfully belongs."

2. Who will be the quarterback?

Singletary employed an at-times dizzying rotation of Alex Smith and Troy Smith last season. Expect Harbaugh, who started 140 NFL games under center, to try and stabilize the position ... likely with Alex Smith. While the 49ers drafted Nevada's Colin Kaepernick in the second round, Alex Smith -- though currently unsigned -- is talking and acting like he will be the starting quarterback again. Last month, he said there was a "very good chance" he'd re-sign. And he has been organizing 49ers players for workouts during the lockouts and even attempting to teach aspects of Harbaugh's playbook after being given one despite his free agent status. After his falling out with Singletary late last season, Smith (the No. 1 overall pick in 2005) indicated it was unlikely he'd return to San Francisco for a sixth season. But he and Harbaugh bonded before the lockout. And if Smith plays well, Kaepernick could get ample time to develop, something many draft observers think he could use.

3. How much tread is left on RB Frank Gore's tires?

A two-time Pro Bowler, Gore is now 28 and coming back from a broken hip that cut his season short after 11 games last season. He was on pace for a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2010 before his injury cut him off at 853 yards. Still, the heavy workload the 49ers place on Gore -- who's also caught an average of 51 passes the past five seasons -- raises questions about how long he can remain effective. The 49ers drafted Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter in the fourth round. But look for them to seek another option in free agency. Veteran Brian Westbrook isn't likely to return, and Anthony Dixon (who's now at about 250 pounds) seems fit for more fullback-like responsibilities. Gore's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said in May his client was "100% healthy and fully recovered," although the running back did not work out in the Smith-organized workouts this month. Gore's injury history -- he's played a full season just once -- and age (which is approaching the normal wall for NFL running backs) indicate the 49ers need to be ready with a capable understudy if not replacement.

4. How much turnover must the defense endure?

Potentially a sizeable amount, depending on how the chairs align when free agency finally begins. OLB Manny Lawson and S Dashon Goldson could reach some level of free agency depending on how the labor impasse is resolved. Goldson, who's started the past two years and shown impact ability, will be a priority. The Niners drafted Aldon Smith seventh overall, and he could make Lawson expendable. He'll line up next to Patrick Willis -- arguably the game's best inside linebacker -- but whether he'll have veteran Takeo Spikes there with him is unknown. Spikes, 34, is unsigned and didn't participate in the player-led workouts this month. He started all 16 games last season for the 49ers, but the team may consider moving 2010 third-round pick Navorro Bowman into Spikes' slot. Another big change could be the departure of unrestricted free agent NT Aubrayo Franklin. He's a long shot to re-sign in San Francisco despite earning the franchise tag last season. His departure would likely increase the urgency to re-sign DE Ray McDonald, as the team could then slide Isaac Sopoaga into the nose position and have McDonald on the end opposite Pro Bowler Justin Smith.

5. When will Michael Crabtree begin fulfilling expectations?

San Francisco fans are still waiting for a breakout season from Crabtree. The Texas Tech product has caught 103 passes for 1,366 yards and eight TDs since being drafted 10th overall in 2009. He turned out for the players-led workouts this month, and he and Alex Smith downplayed rumors of tension between them. New 49ers receivers coach John Morton told The Sacramento Bee he thinks the switch to Harbaugh's West Coast offense will greatly help Crabtree. The scheme's reliance on slants and shorter routes intended to get the ball into receivers' hands quickly should help a player such as Crabtree -- who isn't a perfect fit for the deep route vertical game -- greatly. Said Morton, Crabtree is "going to be a phenomenal football player in this offense."