By Brian Murphy
On the eve of NFL free agency, where are we at with your San Francisco 49ers?
Quick landscape check: The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champs. The LA Rams came within an eyelash of beating those Seahawks in the NFC Championship. The Rams just traded for cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has made two All-Pro teams in the last three years.
And in a related development, the Seahawks and Rams are in the same division as the 49ers.
As for your Niners — future Hall of Fame offensive tackle Trent Williams is in a contract dispute for the club. Their presumed star wide receiver for the rest of the 2020s, Brandon Aiyuk, will no longer be with the club. It’s uncertain if they can find a landing spot for backup QB Mac Jones, who in theory could fetch the 49ers a good draft pick. And there’s a nasty rumor that the Rams may be in the running to land All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. That might not happen, but the mere thought of it adds to Jock Blog angst.
But look on the bright side. It could be worse. They could be the Warriors.
Hey, oh! Cheap shots are free at JB Headquarters.
Point being, the vibe check is uncertain as of now in Santa Clara.
This is not to say that the 49ers are in dire straits. They’re coming off a 12-win season and made the NFL’s Elite Eight. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner should be back and ready to go by Week 1. And NFL.com rated the 49ers as a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of cap space and draft capital, ahead of both the Rams and Seahawks, if that makes you feel better.
The 49ers’ salary cap situation isn’t in crisis. They are positioned around 10th in the NFL in terms of money to spend.
And Kyle Shanahan is still the best play-caller in America. Come at me, Sean McVay stans.
Point being, the weeks ahead rate quite highly on the 49ers interest scale. Free agency starts next week, and while it’s always best to build through the draft in terms of cost, development and culture, no one in the Bay Area is going to say no to center Tyler Linderbaum or edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Shanahan and president of football operations John Lynch have hit on a few big free agents, including fullback Kyle Juszczyk, center Alex Mack and cornerback Charvarius Ward. Free agency can be fickle, though. Jerick McKinnon and Dee Ford were defined by injuries, not long-term success.
Free agency will help, hopefully. And getting healthier is obviously mandatory.
Truth is, the 49ers will be defined by how they develop their current young players.
It’s not sexy, but it’s winning football. Mykel Williams (when he returns from injury), Alfred Collins, C.J. West, Nick Martin (remember him?), Marques Sigle and the promising Upton Stout will need to be coached up, as will receivers Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, and running back Jordan James. This is how the Seahawks and Rams got so good, give or take a trade for a Hall of Fame QB named Matt Stafford and the signing of a resurgent Sam Darnold.
The Niners are projected to have seven draft picks in April, if the compensatory picks play out as expected. (Lynch traded away three picks to acquire pass rusher Bryce Huff, running back Brian Robinson and defensive lineman Khalil Davis.)
Defensive line, wide receiver, offensive line are on the mandatory grocery shopping list. Receivers like Omar Cooper of Indiana and K.C. Concepcion are already garnering mock draft interest.
Bottom line, it’s time to improve the vibe check. Let’s move it off “uncertain”, pronto.
