We’ve been reminded yet again that they don’t give out the Lombardi Trophy in May.
Even when things look great on paper, the paper yields to practicality once players start getting injured. In the case of the 49ers, the favorite target of quarterback Colin Kaepernick could now be gone for a while.
The question becomes whether the 49ers will stay in house to replace Michael Crabtree, who is expected to miss six months, or whether they will add other options to fill the void. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the 49ers had not yet contacted Randy Moss about a possible return to the team to which he publicly said farewell, after it became clear that the Niners had planned to say “ta-ta” to him.
The 49ers may now need Moss, who kept quiet about his discontent with a minimal role in 2012 until Super Bowl week. In 2013, Moss could have a more significant role, given Crabtree’s absence.
There aren’t many other options on the free-agency market. Brandon Lloyd, a fourth-round pick of the 49ers a decade ago who had 74 catches for 911 yards in 2012 with New England, is available.
It’s also possible, in theory, that the Niners will look at the trade market or, as the offseason yields to training camp and the preseason, the waiver wire. Either way, the Niners unexpectedly have lost a key piece of their puzzle, which will make it a little harder to put together a successful Super Bowl run in 2013.