In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the San Francisco 49ers, who managed only two wins in 2016 and have since hired a new general manager (John Lynch) and a new head coach (Kyle Shanahan).
2. Add new offensive weapons: Acquiring a new quarterback should be priority one for the 49ers, but bringing in a new signal-caller won’t have the desired effect if he has no receivers who can get open with regularity. With Jeremy Kerley, Quinton Patton, and Rod Streater headed for free agency, San Francisco’s WR depth chart is comprised of Torrey Smith and bunch of no-names. Aaron Burbridge, Chris Harper, DeAndre Smelter, Bruce Ellington, and Eric Rogers all have youth on their side (at 26, Rogers is the oldest of the group), but the Niners can’t presume any of them will develop into starting-caliber wideouts.
The 49ers should deal with Smith’s status before moving on to wide receiver additions, and while the 28-year-old likely won’t be released (he still has value and San Francisco doesn’t need any extra cap space), Smith is a candidate to be traded when the new league year begins. Philadelphia reportedly inquired on Smith at last year’s trade deadline, and given that they’ve been linked to Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Stills, and others already this year, the Eagles are clearly going after wideout upgrades. If the Niners decide Smith isn’t part of their long-term plans, the Eagles could make for an intriguing trade partner, and a player-for-player deal involving linebacker Mychal Kendricks might interest both clubs.
Smith doesn’t have to be on the move, as he could theoretically fill the Andre Johnson/Julio Jones role in Shanahan’s new offense (a topic addressed by Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com earlier this week). Even if Smith is retained, however, the 49ers need to add several other pass-catching options either through free agency or the draft. One veteran who’s already been linked to San Francisco is Redskins wideout Pierre Garcon, who played under Shanahan in Washington from 2012-13. The definition of a dependable No. 2 receiver, the 30-year-old Garcon could serve as a security blanket for a hypothetically youthful 49ers quarterback.
Taylor Gabriel also has a working relationship with Shanahan, having posted 35 receptions for 579 yards and six touchdowns last year in Atlanta. A restricted free agent, Gabriel won’t be able to reach the free agent market unfettered, as the Falcons have the option of tendering him an RFA offer. With the knowledge that Shanahan would jump at the chance to sign Gabriel, Atlanta will likely tender Gabriel at the first- or second-round level, making a San Francisco acquisition untenable. If the Falcons somehow only tender Gabriel at the original round level, however, he should book his ticket to the Bay Area immediately.
Aside from Gabriel, the restricted free agent market boasts a number of other potential Falcons targets who could come at a lower cost than their unrestricted brethren. Adam Thielen, Dontrelle Inman, Corey Brown, and Albert Wilson are among the pass-catchers who won’t reach the open market without some restriction, and while some members of that group (namely Thielen) will be tendered at a level that discourages pursuit, others could be available draft compensation-free. The Chiefs and Chargers are both in the bottom-10 of clubs in terms of 2017 cap space, so if they try to sneak Wilson and Inman, respectively, through restricted free agency with a low tender, San Francisco should be ready to pounce.
The 49ers boast plenty of cap space, and because they don’t necessarily need to worry about every dollar, they could target a few wide receivers on the unrestricted free agent market. While Alshon Jeffery seems like a lavish investment for a rebuilding team, San Francisco could look at younger free agents such as Kenny Stills (24), Robert Woods (24), Cordarrelle Patterson (26), Kamar Aiken (27), or Markus Wheaton (26). At 30 years old, the Bengals’ Brandon LaFell is entering the twilight of his career, but he was relatively productive in Cincinnati last season, and his excellent run-blocking skills could come in handy in a San Francisco offense that figures to lean on Carlos Hyde.
3. Fill in the gaps on a new 4-3 defense: After running a 3-4 front for more than a decade, the 49ers will switch to 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who’s spent the past few years as a linebackers coach under Gus Bradley. The secondary could use some work in future years — especially if Saleh wants to target the large-bodied corners Bradley and the Seahawks typically employed — but the for the most part, the back end should be passable for the 2017 season. The safety position, especially, shouldn’t be an issue, as incumbent slot corner Jimmie Ward is likely to join Eric Reid at safety, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee detailed last November.
San Francisco’s front seven, though, needs reinforcements, and the first step will be determining whether former first-round picks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner stay at defensive end in the 4-3 look or instead move inside to tackle. It’s not a huge concern, as most defensive lines are malleable and run on rotations, but the presence of Armstead and Buckner could dissuade the 49ers from drafting Alabama’s Jonathan Allen or Stanford’s Solomon Thomas at the top of Round 1. Instead, pure edge rushers could be on the mind of San Francisco management when the No. 2 pick rolls around.
If the Browns pass on Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett in favor of a quarterback, the 49ers would likely run to turn in their card with the former Aggie’s name on it. Adding an pass rusher such as Garrett should take precedence over finding a signal-caller given the weak 2017 crops of passers, which means it’s not out of the question for San Francisco to go defense with the second overall pick even if Garrett is selected by Cleveland. Allen and Thomas may not be perfect fits given the needs on the Niners’ roster, but they’ll still be in consideration at pick No. 2, while Tennessee’s Derek Barnett could be another option.
Defensive lineman/edge rushers could be of interest to the 49ers during free agency, as well, especially because line players are among the strongest position groups in this year’s free agent class. Among defensive ends, Jason Pierre-Paul stands out as a potential target thanks to San Francisco’s cap situation, the fact that New York is unlikely to use the franchise tag on JPP, and the presence of former Giants assistant Jeff Zgonina as the 49ers’ defensive line coach. Melvin Ingram, Nick Perry, Datone Jones, and Jabaal Sheard are all under 30 years old and should hit the open market, while San Francisco has also been connected to Lorenzo Alexander, although he’d seem to be an odd fit for the 49ers in their current state.
Zgonina’s presence could also lead the 49ers to pursue Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who is only 24 years old. New York witnessed the effect of a dominant interior player last year after signing Damon Harrison, and while Hankins isn’t yet on Harrison’s level, he’d make for a worthwhile investment. Dontari Poe is another potential target for the Niners if he’s not franchised by the Chiefs, while the club could also invest a draft pick on the interior. Michigan State’s Malik McDowell is a candidate for a draft day tumble and may be available at pick No. 34, as could Caleb Brantley (Florida), Jaleel Johnson (Iowa), and Chris Wormley (Michigan).
Other need areas abound on San Francisco’s defense: if Ward stays in the slot the club could use another to play opposite Reid, and the 49ers could also invest a pick or a minor contract on a off-ball linebacker, where NaVorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks are aging (ex-Falcon Paul Worrilow, 26, would make some sense). And although, as noted, the Niners can probably get through the 2017 campaign with their current crop of cornerbacks, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes San Francisco could surprise and take a CB at No. 2, while Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com recently mocked Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore to the 49ers.
