Last year at this time, the 49ers just wanted to fast forward to the postseason. Maybe that’s why they didn’t make it.

They were coming off their second Super Bowl loss under head coach Kyle Shanahan and they seemed in shock. They had the best roster, they led in the fourth quarter and overtime and still lost. They were so close. And it seemed like their minds were on what they would do differently in that situation the next time.

As a result, the 49ers had a miserable offseason last year. Player attendance was light and the practices lacked urgency. They were perfunctory. The 49ers even had to cancel a joint practice with the Saints because they didn’t have enough healthy players to participate. Embarrassing.

This offseason is different. Now, the 49ers are coming off a miserable 6-11 season and they’ve had an extra-long offseason to stew on it. They understand that they have to earn their way back to the Super Bowl, and that process starts now, not in September.

Last year, the 49ers were a collection of talent, not a team. There’s a difference. Teams get built in OTAs and minicamp. And that’s why Trent Williams, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Christian McCaffrey all showed up this year. These practices are serious. They must get themselves in the best shape possible and show the young players what it takes to build a dominant team.

You have to admire their determination.