four Remaining Priorities For The San Francisco 49ers Throughout NFL Offseason
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Remaining priorities for the San Francisco 49ers during the NFL off-season. (Photo by Michael Zagaris / San … [+]
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The San Francisco 49ers pretty much set their 90-man roster for off-season programs and the start of training camp after making eight choices in the 2021 NFL draft.
Apparently, the biggest news of the Santa Clara off-season was the 49ers’ decision to act through the third election on the draft for North Dakota quarterback Trey Lance. He will now probably fight for the QB1 place in the camp with the reigning starter Jimmy Garoppolo.
Even so, there are a few things left on the 49ers plate after most of the heavy lifting is done. Could San Francisco choose to bring back a future Hall of Fame cornerback? Perhaps it would appear that a recipient is being freed up after avoiding that position in the draft for the first time in 18 years. There’s also a chance the 49ers could lock up one of their young stud players for a long time.
Below, I see four moves the San Francisco 49ers should make this off-season.
San Francisco 49ers Richard Sherman re-sign
The San Francisco 49ers re-sign Richard Sherman. (Photo by Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)
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For a while earlier this off-season, it looked like a reunion between Sherman and the 49ers was no longer in sight after three seasons together. At 33 years old and an injury-ridden 2020 campaign in which he missed all but five games, there simply wasn’t a strong market for Sherman’s services. It has led to recent signs that he might be back in Northern California for the coming season.
The Fresno Bee’s Chris Biderman notes that Sherman and the 49ers are involved in preliminary talks about a return. Sherman himself said he was “excited” to stay on with the organization.
There are some obvious complications here, however. First and foremost, San Francisco, with its entire eight-person design class to be signed, is just $ 18 million below the cap. Cornerbacks Ambry Thomas (third round) and Deommodore Lenoir (fifth round) were also selected in the draft. After the re-signing of K’Waun Williams, Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett, is there room for Sherman in the free agency?
I say yes. While the cornerback seems to be on its last legs, Sherman is still a season away from a Pro Bowl appearance with San Francisco. He could start facing Verrett on short notice while serving as the veteran presence for Thomas and Lenoir. If the money is working this should be a priority.
San Francisco 49ers sign Fred Warner to renew contract
The San Francisco 49ers make Fred Warner the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL. (Photo by Kathryn … [+]
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They may have to wait until the next off-season when the NFL salary cap expands. As mentioned above, the 49ers only have a cap space of $ 18 million. Without Jimmy Garoppolo (unlikely) trading or restructuring other contracts, Warner’s situation will likely have to be brought to its knees.
Even then, the 24-year-old Warner has to have short-term priority. He’s the best inside linebacker in the NFL and has been totally dominant since the 49ers stole him in the third round of the 2018 draft. In the last season alone, the BYU product recorded 125 tackles, seven quarterback hits, six defended passes, five tackles due to loss, and two interceptions en route to being the best insider linebacker according to Pro Football Focus metrics.
This will ultimately result in a huge payday for Warner, slated to become a free agent after the 2021 season. The inability to lock Warner up that off-season or this season will likely force San Francisco to put the franchise tag on him. That would run to an estimated $ 19 million and handcuff the 49ers on a large scale for the next off-season.
The alternative is to make Warner the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL within the next few weeks. That deal would surpass the $ 18 million Bobby Wagner made in his deal with the Seattle Seahawks, but with a lower cap hit of 2022 than the franchise of his. Perhaps Jimmie Ward and Laken Tomlinson’s signing of renewals while Arik Armstead’s contract was being restructured could create enough room to imprison Warner in the long term.
San Francisco 49ers Add Wide Receiver in Free Agency or in Retail
San Francisco 49ers sign the Golden Tate. (Photo by Abbie Parr / Getty Images)
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The addition of Austin Watkins Jr. as a vacant free agent shouldn’t change the 49ers’ plans anytime soon. Sure, he was seen as a mid-round pick leading the draft and fulfilling a need in the slot. But relying on him for an instant effect is stupid.
Right now, Sane Deebo have Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk scheduled in San Francisco to start from the outside. Seasoned free agent Mohamed Sanu will fight for slot assignments with Richie James and the often injured Jalen Hurd. Of this group, only James has had some recent success. In fact, Hurd missed each of his first two seasons due to injury after being selected in the third round in 2019.
With their limited resources, the 49ers should do whatever it takes to add a capable slot type to the mix. Golden Tate and Danny Amendola are two freelance agents that they have their eye on. The former Chicago Bears second round hit Anthony Miller is firmly on the trading bloc. Maybe it might make sense to send a mid-round pick to the Windy City for the fledgling slot type.
As unlikely as it is, San Francisco could also kick its tires if Julio Jones is added to the mix. The Atlanta Falcons are said to be open to trading in the seven-time Pro Bowler. He worked with Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta and would be an absolutely fantastic fit. Complications include the compensation schemes returning to the hawks in a hypothetical trade and Jones’ bloated contract. Any such move would also require the 49ers to trade or release Garoppolo.
San Francisco 49ers attempt to add NFL draft capital in 2022
San Francisco 49ers act with Jimmy Garoppolo. (Photo by Abbie Parr / Getty Images)
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To say the 49ers left the farm to trade for Trey Lance would be an understatement. This includes the selection of the first round in 2022 and 2023 and the third round next year. It might make sense for San Francisco to remove a player or two in deep positions during training camp.
The decision of the 49ers to design Trey Sermon (third round) and Elijah Mitchell (sixth round) leads to a traffic jam in the background. Perhaps a team will call for the impressive youngster Jeff Wilson in case these two show up at training camp.
After Maurice Hurst and Zach Kerr were added to the mix during the NFL Free Agency, the defensive tackle position is stacked in San Francisco as well. In it, people like Kevin Givens and DJ Jones could become trading lures.
With that in mind, Jimmy Garoppolo could be the largest chip San Francisco has for acquiring future design capital. Let’s say another starting quarterback is injured in the off-season or at camp. In this case, Garoppolo’s commercial market would grow. The keys to the kingdom would again be handed over to Lance as a beginner. Stranger things have happened.
