Anthony Davis' surprising announcement on Friday that he will step away from San Francisco for the next year or so cast another cloud over the 49ers.
As Around The NFL colleague Chris Wesseling pointed out, the players the Niners lost this offseason combined for 20 Pro Bowl appearances and more than 1,000 career starts.
That list includes Davis stepping aside, the retirements of Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Justin Smith; and the departures of Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Ray McDonald, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox.
The talent drain has many predicting gloom in San Francisco this fall.
Newly signed Darnell Dockett fired back at that sentiment over the weekend:
If Dockett ends up being right, his quotes can lead that fascinating story about how a team overcame one of the most ridiculous offseason talent drains in NFL memory.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses offseason clichés and who are the NFL's most valuable non-QBs. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.