After an exodus of 49ers players in the months following Jim Harbaugh’s departure in late 2014, many expected this offseason to feature a flurry of activity aimed at improving the San Francisco roster. The first move came Jan. 20 when Eric Rogers, the CFL’s leading receiver from a year ago, picked the rebuilding 49ers and new coach Chip Kelly after a nationwide tour of 16 NFL suitors.
Rogers’ story—his journey from Division III to arena football to Canada—is a remarkable one on its face. Yet no one imagined his two-year deal would be the biggest headline in the first three months of the Kelly era.