It seems that being a coach on the defensive side of the football has been the key to landing a head coaching job this offseason. From Rex Ryan in Buffalo to Todd Bowles in New York to Jack Del Rio in Oakland, defensive coaches have been a hot commodity. Add Jim Tomsula to that list.
The 49ers promoted their defensive line coach to become the team's next head coach after a mutual parting of the ways with Jim Harbaugh. While Tomsula isn't loaded with NFL head coaching experience, he's not completely unfamiliar with the position either. After the 49ers fired Mike Singletary near the end of the 2010 season, Tomsula took over the team on an interim basis and won his first and -- to this point -- only game as a head coach.
There's little doubt that Tomsula has the respect and admiration of the players that he's coached. He's also had plenty of success as a defensive line guru in a career that has taken him from the England Monarchs of NFL Europe to the sidelines of San Francisco. It remains to see how that style will translate over the course of a 16-game season.
The 49ers defense still has the talent to be a coveted fantasy unit. Despite injuries and an offense that struggled to allow it time to rest, San Francisco still finished the season as a top-12 fantasy defense. However, there could be questions about the team's scheme next season with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likely to leave the organization. Regardless, the prospect of a linebacker corps that features Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and rookie surprise Chris Borland is a positive one.
But like many new head coaches, Tomsula could rise or fall on the strength of his coordinators. One of the big stories of the 49ers 2014 season was the struggles of Colin Kaepernick. The quarterback might not have regressed last year, but he certainly didn't progress. The first job for Tomsula's staff will be to rebuild the young quarterback. It wouldn't hurt to add some playmakers in the passing game. And there's also the matter of what happens with San Francisco's running game and the futures of Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde. Answering these questions will go a long way in determing how much fantasy value anyone in red and gold has next season.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.
