Coaching Carousel 2017: Which NFL Coaching Jobs Are Most Attractive?

​San Francisco 49ers

2016 Offensive NEP per play: 28th
2016 Defensive NEP per play: 28th

If the San Francisco 49ers had anything good going for them, they might have jumped the Rams in these ranks. The firing of general manager Trent Baalke along with head coach Chip Kelly means that this is a complete franchise overhaul, however. The 49ers have had three different head coaches over the last three years, with the Jim Harbaugh era ending in 2014, Jim Tomsula guiding the 2015 talent exodus, and Kelly putting the cherry on top of mayhem in 2016. Where do we start?

At least the offense has talented core pieces. Running back Carlos Hyde is clearly the crown jewel of this side of the Bay Area ball, having turned in the 22nd-best season by Rushing NEP per attempt among 42 qualifying rushers. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the one other player with talent -- quarterback Colin Kaepernick -- is an impending free agent. Kaep came in a not-horrid 28th in Passing NEP per drop back among 39 qualifying passers, and he achieved a higher Total NEP than even Eli Manning, Ryan Tannehill, and Joe Flacco.

As for the receiving group, only Jeremy Kerley finished with at least 75 targets, and he ranked second-to-last in Reception NEP per target. Tight end Vance McDonald did rank sixth among 35 qualifying tight ends in the same analytic.

The defense is atrocious, too, creating the third-worst adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play despite two consecutive first-round selections being spent on the defensive line. The only talent on defense left is either old (safety Antoine Bethea) or injured (cornerback Jimmie Ward) or both (linebacker Navorro Bowman).

Likely Candidates: Anyone who will take them. They’ve reached out to McDaniels and Lynn, but with the latter likely to take the Buffalo job and the former surely seeing ghosts of his previous head coaching stint in this debacle of a franchise, it’s unlikely either will bite on this serious, long-term rebuild.