The 49ers are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL entering the 2018-2019 season, but they’re far from a finished product.
San Francisco has more than $64 million in cap space, despite signing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the most lucrative deal in NFL history last month. Richard Sherman’s incentive-laden contract won’t affect much of San Francisco’s current spending money.
With all of their resources, the 49ers have the potential to fill some major needs in free agency, which officially begins at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. The “tampering period” for teams to contact unrestricted free agents began on Monday, which has already seen some household names linked to new deals.
Here are the 49ers’ top remaining priorities in free agency.
1. Defensive end
If quarterbacks are the No. 1 necessity for every team, edge rushers are the second-most important. The 49ers are currently devoid of one.
San Francisco recently jettisoned Elvis Dumervil, its best pass rusher, despite having one of the worst units in the league last season. The Niners recorded only 30 sacks for the season, tied for the sixth-worst in the NFL. Dumervil accounted for 6.5 of them.
While Solomon Thomas, the former No. 3 pick overall, wasn’t the dynamic edge rusher some expected, he played a ton of snaps and showed reliability.
As the 49ers shop for players to replace Dumervil, one who stands out is Alex Okafor, who was on his way to a productive season with the Saints until he tore an Achilles on Nov. 21. Okafor had 4.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles in ten games.
Former Dolphin William Hayes is another option, but he isn’t an every-down horse. He recorded 18 quarterback pressures in just 271 snaps last season.
NFL drafts expose the importance of edge rushers. Seven defensive ends were selected in the first 30 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Niners have chosen a defensive player with their first pick in five consecutive drafts. They should consider taking an edge rusher this season, especially if an unmissable prospect such as NC State’s Bradley Chubb somehow falls to No. 9. That seems highly unlikely, but there is a crop of worthy options after Chubb.
Boston College’s Harold Landry posted monstrous numbers last season, recording 18 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 44 hurries. UTSA’s Marcus Davenport is a 6’7” specimen who posted nine sacks last year. Targeting any other defensive end prospect would be a jump in the first round.
Pairing an explosive edge rusher beside DeForest Buckner, who led all interior defenders with 19 quarterback hits last season, would cause opposing offensive lines problems. Whether via free agency or draft, the edge rusher hole is a void the 49ers needs to fill.
2. Running back
Carlos Hyde is set to become a free agent, and it remains unknown whether he will re-sign with the 49ers. Hyde, 27, produced his best all-around season in 2017-18, totaling 1,288 all-purpose yards. He averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry, but that doesn’t solely represent Hyde’s difficulties, as the offensive line struggled to open running lanes.
Free agent Dion Lewis would’ve been the home run acquisition, but was reportedly signed to a four-year deal with the Titans on Tuesday.
With Lewis out of the picture, former Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon is another quick, shifty back set to hit free agency. He operates well out of the passing game, averaging 8.3 yards per reception last year.
Lewis seems to be the only running back worthy of big money out of the free agent pool, but there are a handful of prospects in the upcoming draft who project well.
Assuming the Niners don’t trade up for Saquon Barkley, Georgia’s Sony Michel is among the most electrifying athletes in the draft. He is being projected as a late first round or early second round pick. LSU’s Derrius Guice is an NFL-ready option who once filled in for the injured Leonard Fournette in 2016 and produced just as much. Michel’s counterpart at Georgia, Nick Chubb, is a bruising back with similar measurables to Hyde.
Signing Lewis would is the most desirable option for the Niners, as they build the offense around Garoppolo, who played with Lewis in New England. But if Lewis signs elsewhere, and Hyde isn’t re-signed, more options reside in the draft.
3. Wide receiver
Garoppolo transformed an underperforming offense into one of the best units in the NFL during his five-game win streak as the starter last year.
One reason was his growing partnership with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. Known mostly for his speed as a downfield threat, Goodwin became a No. 1 receiver toward the end of the season, finishing 38 yards shy from the 1,000-yard benchmark. Last week, he signed a three-year extension with the 49ers.
Pierre Garcon was projected as San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver, but a neck injury eight games into the campaign cut his 2017-18 season short. Under Shanahan, Garcon’s best season came with the Redskins in 2013, when he caught 113 passes for 1,346 yards. With Garcon, Goodwin, and second-year Trent Taylor in rotation, the Niners have a solid receiving corps.
After all, Garoppolo dominated with the Garcon-less Niners last year. But adding a big, physical, red-zone threat to complement San Francisco’s speed would add another dynamic.
The only problem is most of those original free agent options are already gone.
By 2 p.m. Tuesday, free agents Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson, Marquis Lee, and Donte Moncrief had all signed with teams. Jarvis Landry, the most accomplished receiver out of the free agent batch, signed with the Browns last week.
One of the most surpising revelations of Tuesday’s activity was the Packers releasing Jordy Nelson. While he is 32 years old, Nelson has been one of the top receivers in the league for the past six years. He averaged 1,363 yards with nearly 12 touchdowns per season from 2013-2016. He turns 33 in May, but it seems Nelson has more football left in him.
Mike Wallace is also on the market after averaging 879 and four touchdowns the past two seasons. Wallace wouldn’t dramatically improve the receiving unit, but they are cheap options and would add depth.
Then there’s the draft. Two of the top receiver prospects are SMU’s Courtland Sutton (6’4”, 218 pounds) and Equanimeous St. Brown (6’5”, 214 pounds)— who easily has the best name in the field— would provide big red zone threats for Garoppolo.
4. Guard
The 49ers offensive line struggled last season, allowing 43 total sacks, the 10th-worst total in the league. While Joe Staley and Trent Brown have been firmly entrenched as the starting tackles, the guard position was a major concern entering free agency.
The 49ers have already worked to address the issue. On Tuesday morning, the team signed interior linemen Weston Richburg to a five-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Richburg, 26, has been a staple in the middle of the New York Giants offensive line, playing guard his rookie season before switching to center. Since he was drafted in 2014, Richburg has started in all but one game. Last year, he played in only four contests after suffering a concussion four games into the season.
Richburg ranked Pro Football Focus’ third-best center in 2015, his second season in the NFL. He allowed only two sacks in the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
For a player who can play multiple positions and has the athleticism to get to the second level, Richburg is a solid fit.
The 49ers also re-signed center Daniel Kilgore. It seems the 49ers are stacking their line with the best available options, regardless of potential position conflicts.
The most coveted free agent option was Andrew Norwell, one of the top guards in the NFL. But early Tuesday morning, Norwell signed with the Jaguars.
The 49ers should still look to bolster the position via the draft. Notre Dame’s Quentin Nelson is worth strongly considering if he is available at San Francisco’s No. 9 overall pick. Nelson was a dominant run-blocker and pass-protector in college, and is the consensus top guard prospect.
