SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has said repeatedly he recognized things were changing for the better as far back as the 2019 offseason program.
That's when Shanahan got a first peek at his revamped defensive line and witnessed the emergence of other improvements up and down the roster. By training camp, that initial look had morphed into full-fledged belief a new day had arrived for the Niners. His team was a contender.
That idea hit home Oct. 22. The Niners were 6-0 and sitting atop the NFC West. Some outside observers still questioned the validity of San Francisco's unblemished start. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were about to send a message that would amplify their belief in the team's legitimacy.
With the trade deadline approaching, Shanahan recognized the need for a veteran wide receiver. With wideouts such as Emmanuel Sanders and Mohamed Sanu in their sights, the time had come to put their draft capital behind their words. The 49ers sent third- and fourth-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for Sanders and a fifth-round choice.
“To me, the hardest thing was decisions we had to make last year," Shanahan said. "We felt that what we were staring at in the middle of the year where, 'Hey, we got a chance. What do we have to do to get to the Super Bowl?' You make that decision to trade for Emmanuel, which I would do over a thousand times because I don't think we would've done that without it."
It was a move the 49ers wouldn't have made in either of the previous two seasons. Shanahan and Lynch took on a rebuild in 2017 and the thought of giving away valuable midround picks for a 32-year old receiver on the final year of his contract would have been laughable.
As it turned out, the decision to trade for Sanders and go for the Lombardi Trophy was just the beginning of life as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Niners lost in Super Bowl LIV, leaving them to embark on an important offseason with less cap space (roughly $15 million) and draft capital (seven picks, none in rounds two through four) than they'd had at any point under Lynch and Shanahan.
"When we started this offseason and all we had was one first-round pick, we were not going to be able to pay our own players, let alone go pay some players," Shanahan said. "There's a lot of hard decisions in there and that's why we had to make some tough decisions. ... It was a little bit stressful because not all the tools were there to improve. But I think we maneuvered enough to be able to maintain most of the stuff we had. We definitely added a few new pieces who aren't just guys trying to beat out the last two guys on the roster. We've got some guys who can come in and be difference-makers, too.”
Indeed, difficult decisions awaited and the Niners made them. They let Sanders walk in free agency, as he signed with the New Orleans Saints. In the move Shanahan and Lynch call the toughest choice of their tenure, they traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 13 pick in the NFL draft.
In an alternate universe, the Niners could have paid Buckner and Sanders, moved more money around on other contracts to create cap space, allowed players like end Arik Armstead and free safety Jimmie Ward to leave and find themselves in salary cap purgatory next year. Instead, they retained Armstead, Ward and other key depth.
They filled the biggest holes with a mix of promising rookies and a Pro Bowl left tackle. After left tackle Joe Staley retired, they moved to trade for Trent Williams and were intentional about using their two first-round picks to replace Buckner and Sanders, doing so with defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wideout Brandon Aiyuk, respectively.
In addition, the 49ers released right guard Mike Person and signed veteran Tom Compton, who is expected to compete with Daniel Brunskill for the starting spot there.
Looking at those changes, it might be hard to conclude the 49ers are a better team now than before free agency in mid-March. Kinlaw and Aiyuk have plenty of potential but must prove they can produce. Williams is an elite tackle but he hasn't played since 2018.
Still, the Niners didn't get significantly worse. The upside players such as Kinlaw and Aiyuk bring at a fraction of the cost of their predecessors should allow San Francisco to continue to contend in 2020, even if it takes a step back in the short term. And if Kinlaw and Aiyuk do improve, it will allow the Niners to stay in the Super Bowl picture beyond next season while keeping cornerstones such as tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner on lucrative contract extensions.
"We're trying to build it the right way and never make bad decisions over the long haul, but we also feel we should've won the Super Bowl last year and we want to have an opportunity to win it again," Shanahan said. "So, every decision we made was also with, how do we help this organization for the future? But it still feels like we're in a position to be the same team, if not better this year than we were last year. Those are the things that come into play... But, the bottom line is you're just trying to build our team the best we can to win this year without totally jeopardizing us in the future."
While the roster might not look as strong without Buckner, Staley and Sanders, the Niners have another advantage in the form of continuity as they return 18 of 22 starters as well as the majority of their coaching staff, including all coordinators. That could be of particular importance with so much uncertainty surrounding the next time teams will be able to practice.
In 2021, the 49ers again will find themselves having to make tough choices as they have 26 players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents, including about a dozen starters or key contributors. Such is life in the Niners' new reality.
"We've got guys who have the capability to do it and I think we can be a better team," Lynch said. "That's really exciting."