Bay Area News Group $4.95 49ers NFL KITTLE’S ENCORE Who enters the 2019 season ahead What kind of havoc might George Kittle wreak with a healthy of the pack? Power Jimmy Garoppolo back in the mix? rankings for both conferences. PAGE 6 PAGE 60 Don’t sleep on these games on the THE QB QUESTION 2019 schedule. Is Jimmy G primed to prove that all PAGE 70 the bluster he received a year ago is actually deserved? PAGE 12 Credits Raiders SECTION EDITOR Mark Conley OAKLAND’S LAST HURRAH DESIGN Can this Antonio Brown-led spectacle hit the jackpot for the David Jack Browning Bay Area before the Vegas departure? Jennifer Schaefer Chris Gotsill PAGE 32 PHOTO EDITING Laura Oda DEREK’S DIFFICULT Mark DuFrene DECISION COPY EDITING Few know that Derek Carr nearly Laurence Meidema handed back his NFL opportunity Jaime Welton before ever getting behind center. Matt Schwab Richard Parrish PAGE 36 Michael Nowels FRONT AND INSIDE COVER ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVIDE BARCO 3 NFL KICKOFF BAY AREA NEWS GROUP THE NFL A look around an NFL where the Browns are back … and Gronk could be too? As a new season dawns, a full slate of questions looms. We do our best educated guessing so you don’t have to. BY CARL STEWARD ARE THE CLEVELAND Do the Cleveland IS THIS THE YEAR BROWNS FOR REAL? Browns have ANDREW LUCK GETS what it takes? OVER THE HUMP? Even though the NFL national With QB Baker media are going ga-ga over the Mayfield, right, What Luck did to rekindle his Browns’ resurgence, we reserve maybe, but they career last year was admirable the right to be exceedingly skep- still have much because he was looking pretty pre- tical. Do you remember the last to prove. maturely done before the Colts de- time they won a playoff game? cided to protect their investment It was 1994. Remember who GETTY IMAGES with an offensive line that allowed their coach was? Bill Belichick. him to be sacked a mere 18 times Remember who they beat? Try (fewest in the NFL for a full-time the New England Patriots. Odell starter). The Colts are taking a Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield measured approach to building notwithstanding, there’s much to their team under GM Chris Bal- prove still despite last year’s jump lard, but that’s the structure that to 7-8-1 from 0-16. best suits Luck, who’s still only 29. Keep protecting him and good things are bound to happen. WHAT ARE THE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR KYLER MURRAY? HAS RAMS RUNNING BACK TODD GURLEY And what can we realistically ALREADY HIT HIS expect from the Arizona Cardinals EXPIRATION DATE? in support of the 5-foot-10 Mur- ray? Look, Russell Wilson at 5-11 Despite the fact that he just kind of blew away the whole short turned 25 on Aug. 3, Gurley has quarterback myth. Wilson went exceeded 1,000 carries in his to two Super Bowls, won one (and four-year NFL career and added should have won the other if not a couple hundred more totes for the worst play-call in history) on receptions. He has the most and is now the highest-paid play- touchdowns of any player in the er in the league. But will Murray league over that period with 46. have the coaching infrastructure But diagnosed with an arthritic under new head man Kliff Kings- left knee following his trouble- bury? Will he have any blocking? some performances in the NFC Will he have good targets beyond Championship Game and Super aging Larry Fitzgerald? Bowl, it’s an open question what Gurley’s future holds. Two trendy words will likely define Gurley’s 2019 season: load management. But at what expense to the Rams’ season does that unfold? 4 NFL KICKOFF BAY AREA NEWS GROUP WHICH FORMER 49ERS try and fill the void is old New En- his team — Philadelphia’s Doug QB IS MORE LIKELY TO gland hand Ben Watson, who’s 38. Pederson. So here’s a working Top PLAY IN THE NFL AGAIN, Watson will be suspended for the 6 butt-burn list for starters: 1. Mike ALEX SMITH OR COLIN first four games, too, which will Tomlin, Pittsburgh. 2. Jay Grud- KAEPERNICK? only heighten the swirl around en, Washington. 3. Jason Garrett, a Gronkowski return. Gronkow- Dallas. 4, Doug Marrone, Jackson- Despite reaching a confidential ski may simply be waiting until ville. 5. Ron Rivera, Carolina. 6. Bill settlement on collusion charges he’s really needed and avoiding O’Brien, Houston. Kaepernick made against the the heat of summer workouts. league, it remains questionable It’s a solid bet the fun-loving whether he’ll ever play in the Gronkowski comes back at some WILL NEW ENGLAND BE NFL again, even though he is just point, once he tires of the party in THE FIRST TEAM IN 31. New England, which lacks an his head. The only real doubt is 15 YEARS TO WIN BACK- experienced backup for Brady, whether it’s this year. TO-BACK SUPER BOWLS? has been rumored as a possibil- The Broncos need a boost on offense, yet ity, but would President Donald they brought in defensive-minded coach The Patriots were the last to Trump’s favorite team actually WHICH SUCCESSFUL Vic Fangio to run the show. do it in 2004-2005 and it’s only take a shot on a player Trump TEAM FROM 2018 been done eight times, but this is has so thoroughly scorned? As for IS PRIMED FOR A ASSOCIATED PRESS the longest gap since the game’s Smith, the devastating compound REGRESSION? inception in 1967. New England leg fracture he suffered in Week has played in three straight Super 11 last year continues to leave his A lot of NFL aficionados think the Bowls and only one team – noted future in doubt, but all indica- Chicago Bears are primed for a fall, coach that’ll still be on the books nonwinner Buffalo — has played tions are he wants to play again, but we prefer going with a fran- for $80 million more deep into in four straight. The retirement of and he does have a contract with chise that’s already partially fallen the 2020s. Gronkowski could prove to be a Washington that runs through – the Pittsburgh Steelers. (How concern, and the Patriots also lost 2022. Smith turned up at camp many losing seasons have the a standout free agent D-lineman sporting crutches, trying in any Steelers had since 1972? Try seven, IS THIS A BOUNCE-BACK in Trey Flowers. At some point, way to help out and earn his $15 only one more than the Raiders YEAR IN JACKSONVILLE there has to be an expiration date million contract for this season. have had in this decade alone.) WITH NICK FOLES AT on Tom Brady, not to mention Bill They missed the playoffs last year THE HELM? Belichick. But as long as the AFC but still went 9-6-1. They haven’t East provides an easy expressway COULD THE VIC FANGIO had a losing year since 2003. But Maybe, if only because the AFC to the postseason, New England EXPERIMENT ACTUALLY this season, Ben Roethlisberger South is such a schizophrenic will be a threat. WORK? will start at age 37 without Antonio division. Foles brings stability if Brown, Le’Veon Bell and perhaps nothing else. He’s not flashy, but The Broncos’ Fangio, 60, cer- most important, offensive line he gets the job done. And players COULD THE NEW PASS tainly has deserved a shot at the coach Mike Munchak, arguably the seem to believe in him. That’s INTERFERENCE RULES big chair for many years based best at his job in the league and huge, because there never seemed GET OUT OF HAND? on his defensive success with he’s now in Denver. to be a lot of belief in Blake numerous teams, including the Bortles externally, and you have to Absolutely. Head coaches can 49ers. But let’s just say it — Den- wonder what the sentiments were now challenge both offensive ver is a strange fit. You have an WHICH LOSING TEAM internally. The gig comes with a and defensive pass interference, offensive-minded team president FROM 2018 CAN MAKE workhorse back in Leonard Four- whether flagged or not, except in in John Elway who brought in a THE BIGGEST JUMP? nette and a defense that doesn’t the last two minutes of each half. new veteran quarterback in Joe figure to get involved in too many Then a designated replay official Flacco and your biggest issues are Lots of candidates: Atlanta. Jack- shootouts. Maybe not 11-5 like two takes over with the power to clearly on offense. Maybe Rich sonville. Green Bay. But OK, gulp years ago, but good enough to make a pass interference ruling or Scangarello, hired away from the … how about the Raiders? Clearly make the playoffs again. reverse one, but at least according 49ers to be the O.C., didn’t want this wasn’t a slow rebuild project to the league, only in extreme the limelight, but he might have here, not when you trade for a circumstances such as the gross been a better choice. flamboyant star in Antonio Brown WHICH NFL COACHES ARE missed PI in the NFC Champion- and then give big money to free ON THE MOST SCALDING ship Game. It’s a one-year trial agents Trent Brown, Lamarcus HOT SEATS? balloon. Our prediction: The final HOW DOES A GRONK- Joyner and Tyrell Williams, then two-minute replay official sticks, LESS NEW ENGLAND draft a step-right-in running back “Coaches” is the operative word, but the coaches’ challenge will be CONTINUE ON … OR DOES in Josh Jacobs.