Top 3 Offseason Needs: San Francisco 49ers

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).

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

• Nick Bellore, LB
• Carl Bradford, LB (ERFA)
• Marcus Cromartie, CB (RFA)
• Chris Davis, CB (RFA)
• Phil Dawson, K
• Shaun Draughn, RB
• Jim Dray, TE
• Glenn Dorsey, DL
• Blaine Gabbert, QB
• Andrew Gardner, G
• DuJuan Harris, RB (RFA)
• Gerald Hodges, LB
• Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL
• Chris Jones, DL
• Jeremy Kerley, WR
• Thaddeus Lewis, QB
• Quinton Patton, WR
• Christian Ponder, QB
• Mike Purcell, DT (ERFA)
• Rod Streater, WR
• Andrew Tiller, G
• Michael Wilhoite, LB

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

1. Colin Kaepernick, QB: $19,365,753
2. Joe Staley, T: $11,056,250
3. NaVorro Bowman, LB: $9,591,500
4. Torrey Smith, WR: $9,475,000
5. Antoine Bethea, S: $7,000,000
6. Ahmad Brooks, LB: $6,148,750
7. Eric Reid, S: $5,676,000
8. Tramaine Brock, CB: $4,300,000
9. Vance McDonald, TE: $4,165,625
10. DeForest Buckner, DL: $4,134,316

Other:

• Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $78,688,264
• Second pick in draft
• Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for CB Jimmie Ward

Three Needs:

1. Solve the quarterback position: The 49ers may have the most needs of any club in the NFL, but the most important void is still at the top of the roster, where San Francisco needs to find a franchise quarterback. Colin Kaepernick is still on the team’s books for now, but he’s considering an opt-out provision that would allow him to reach free agency this spring. Even if he doesn’t opt out, the 49ers could still cut Kaepernick — a move that would save nearly $17MM in cap space — and seek to negotiate a less expensive contract.

While Kaepernick’s fate is still up in the air, new head coach Kyle Shanahan likely wants to put his stamp on the 49ers roster in the form of a new signal-caller, and his No. 1 target figures to be Washington’s Kirk Cousins. Cousins is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but the Redskins aren’t going to let him get away without compensation. If Washington deploys the franchise tag on Cousins, San Francisco would be forced to sacrifice two first-round picks (including the second overall selection in 2017) to sign the sixth-year quarterback.

The Redskins prefer to reach a long-term agreement with Cousins, but recent reports have indicated little progress between the two sides. The franchise tender looms as the most likely option, then, and though Shanahan has exhibited an affinity for Cousins ever since he served as Washington’s offensive coordinator, the 49ers aren’t going to give up two first-rounders given all the holes on their roster. A more conventional trade is possible, as the Redskins could franchise Cousins and then consummate a deal for a something fewer than two first-round picks, but San Francisco is probably going to have to look elsewhere to find its next quarterback.

Elsewhere on the trade market, the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo is thought to be next-up on the 49ers’ wishlist, although the price tag could be steep. San Francisco is extremely unlikely to package the No. 2 pick for Garoppolo, so any deal would likely include the club’s early second-rounder. Shanahan was interested in Garoppolo during the 2014 draft, but the 49ers won’t be the only club pushing to acquire the New England backup, as both the Browns and Bears will likely be in the running, as well.

Other veterans that could end up on San Francisco’s radar include the Bengals’ A.J. McCarron (who is open to being traded), the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor (who is likely to be released), or the Falcons’ Matt Schaub, who spent last season as a backup in Atlanta under Shanahan’s tutelage. Schaub, 35, also worked with Shanahan during the pair’s run with the Texans, and is said to be seeking a starting job this offseason. That opportunity could come in San Francisco, where Schaub would likely act as something of a bridge quarterback while the Niners develop a long-term passer.

If the 49ers bring in a late-career veteran like Schaub, Brian Hoyer, or Jay Cutler (to whom the club has already been linked), general manager John Lynch & Co. figure to select a young QB early in the draft. The 2017 class doesn’t feature an outstanding crop of quarterbacks, but San Francisco will have its choice of several signal-callers at the top of Round 1 or even Round 2. Mock drafts have been all over the place, as Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com projects the 49ers to draft UNC’s Mitch Trubisky while fellow ESPN scribe Todd McShay sees San Francisco going after Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. DeShone Kizer (Notre Dame) could also be in consideration, while Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) might even be a surprise top pick.

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.