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Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

September 9th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

As we reach the end of this year’s Offseason In Review journey, the defending NFC champions — who played the lead role in churning out summer content — close the show. After coming closer to winning a championship without actually doing so than anyone in the Super Bowl era, the 49ers completed a busy offseason.

Extensions and reworkings, one after an endless rumor spree that involved a handful of other teams, dominated a San Francisco offseason that also featured a key coaching change. Here is how the 2023 runners-up went about assembling their latest Super Bowl contender.

Extensions and restructures:

Amid the 49ers’ months-long Aiyuk odyssey, they rewarded the game’s most dynamic running back. As RB salaries stagnated ahead of a 2023 crisis point at the position, this year brought some relief for the market. Saquon Barkley secured $26MM fully guaranteed to top all backs. No player had approached McCaffrey’s $16MM-per-year AAV, however; that number topped position since the Panthers signed off on it in April 2020. But McCaffrey’s deal had paid out its guarantees ahead of the All-Pro’s age-28 season. The 49ers soon took care of the 2022 trade acquisition, raising the RB ceiling with a number unlikely to be approached in the near future.

McCaffrey now holds the RB AAV lead by $4MM, and his $24MM at signing trails only Barkley. Of course, CMC already played four seasons on the deal he inked with the Panthers to set himself up well despite playing a position with a notoriously short career span.

The second-generation NFLer proved a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, giving Brock Purdy an unmatched backfield weapon as he began his QB1 run. The 49ers beat out the Rams by sending second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks for McCaffrey and saw tremendous return on investment last year, when the former top-10 draftee soared to Offensive Player of the Year acclaim.

McCaffrey’s rushing title (1,459 yards) was the franchise’s first since Hall of Famer Joe Perry in 1954, and the OPOY’s 21 total touchdowns led the league despite the 49ers resting him in Week 18. McCaffrey’s workload (1,806 career touches) and Carolina injury history certainly bring concerns entering Year 8, but he has shown the value a top-tier RB can provide a team and did well to secure money through 2025.

Although the deal runs through the 2027 season, it becomes a pay-as-you-go pact beyond 2025. It would cost the 49ers $12.8MM to move on from McCaffrey in 2026, but even if that happens, this will still be considered a successful partnership. The 49ers had kept RB costs low since their 2018 Jerick McKinnon deal did not pan out, but they will hope to again lean on the game’s most expensive ball-carrier as they attempt to win their first Super Bowl in 30 years.

This payment may well have provided a push for Williams to act regarding his contract, as he is by far the top player blocking for McCaffrey. The 49ers have constructed an offensive line that features only Williams tied to a deal worth more than $6MM per year, leaving the door open to this holdout due to the value the perennial All-Pro left tackle provides. A rumor about a potential Williams contract squabble surfaced in June, and the decorated blocker indeed followed through on an attempt to seek an update midway through his six-year deal.

Williams, 36, signed a six-year, $138MM contract in 2021, as the 49ers beat out the Chiefs to re-sign a player who would secure Hall of Fame entry on this contract. The former Washington top-five pick, a first-team All-Pro each year from 2021-23, had played out the guarantees on his contract. Despite the 49ers controlling Williams through 2026, they were dealing with a player who had already displayed conviction via his 2019 Washington standoff — one that ultimately keyed a 2020 trade to San Francisco. The 49ers’ O-line construction also brings Williams dependance, a blueprint reflected in the team’s 0-2 record without its stalwart LT last season.

Between missed practices and preseason games, this holdout cost Williams $5.39MM to wage. Although the CBA prevented the 49ers from waiving Williams’ fines like they did for Nick Bosa (due to the former being on a veteran contract), the holdout probably proved worthwhile for the 15th-year veteran. Williams’ updated deal added no new years but made him the NFL’s highest-paid tackle once again ($27.55MM per year) and made it nearly impossible for the 49ers to move on until at least 2026. Even then, the penalty would now be steep ($35.7MM).

With Williams confirming late last season he was not planning to retire, the 49ers will show faith he can deliver multiple additional seasons. With one more Pro Bowl nod, Williams — an 11-time Pro Bowler — can set the NFL tackle record.

Jennings’ agreement pointed to the 49ers splitting up their Aiyuk-Deebo Samuel pair in 2025, and with Aiyuk finally signed, Samuel trade rumors probably are not far away. A former seventh-round pick, Jennings has delivered strong value. The team attempted to replace Jennings with third-rounder Danny Gray, but Jennings has proven important in more ways than one. The ex-quarterback caught and threw a TD pass in Super Bowl LVIII, coming after a 361-snap season, and PFF rated him as the NFL’s third-best run-blocking receiver in 2023.

Previously given a second-round RFA tender, the 27-year-old role player is signed through 2025. He rounds out a deep receiving corps, should first-rounder Ricky Pearsall eventually factor into this season’s equation. Of course, this was a footnote compared to the next notable WR transaction the 49ers completed.

John Lynch said in February an Aiyuk extension would present challenges; this proved a good synopsis for the action-packed negotiations ahead. Discussions began in late March, but no movement between the parties occurred for months. This produced countless rumors about Aiyuk’s price points — in terms of AAV and guarantees — and invited other teams to inquire. Trade talks did not become serious until training camp, though the 49ers — as they did with Samuel during his 2022 impasse — discussed Aiyuk with teams during the draft. San Francisco wanted a mid-first-round pick for the second-team All-Pro; no team made such an offer, and by summer’s end, no team ultimately would.

During the sides’ negotiations, the wideout market shifted. When the parties began talking, one receiver was tied to a deal north of $30MM per year (Tyreek Hill). Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown joined that club in April, and Justin Jefferson reset the market in late May. CeeDee Lamb used the Jefferson deal to secure monster terms from the Cowboys following a holdout. The top two contracts on the market did not affect Aiyuk too closely, but the position’s ceiling rising as it did inflated asking prices for players not quite on that level. The Dolphins and Eagles respectively paying Jaylen Waddle ($28.25MM per year, $76MM guaranteed) and DeVonta Smith ($25MM AAV, $69.99MM guaranteed) shaped the Aiyuk talks as well.

These deals did not convince the 49ers to change their Aiyuk view for months; the team stood at a price between $26-$27MM per year until training camp. Aiyuk had aimed to land St. Brown-level money and targeted guarantees in the Brown range ($84MM). An ascending player, the 26-year-old talent still exited the 2023 season 17th in receiving yards in the 2020s. Aiyuk’s surface-level stats brought scrutiny regarding his demands.

The 2020 first-round pick, however, displayed high-end efficiency last season. His 1,342-yard year came on just 105 targets in the 49ers’ well-balanced offense. Aiyuk’s 3.01 yards per route run ranked third in the NFL last year, and his camp undoubtedly parlayed this efficiency — along with Aiyuk’s importance to a championship contender — into the late-August windfall.

Before reaching the finish line, the 49ers let Aiyuk shop around. Had he wanted to merely take the best deal, the Patriots (at $32MM per year, with Kendrick Bourne potentially coming back to San Francisco) may have been the trade partner. But Aiyuk did not want to be dealt to New England or Cleveland, the latter offering $30MM per and submitting an interesting package involving contract-year WR Amari Cooper along with second- and fifth-round picks. Although Aiyuk would have welcomed being dealt to the Commanders and reuniting with college teammate Jayden Daniels, they were not especially interested.

The Steelers — an Aiyuk draw largely due to Mike Tomlin‘s presence — became the “what if?” team, but their trade and extension offers underwhelmed both the 49ers and Aiyuk. Trade framework ultimately emerged, but the underwhelming proposals ended up bringing Aiyuk back to the table with the 49ers, who again turned a WR trade request into a summer extension. Of course, it took San Francisco upping its offer to $30MM per.

Pittsburgh not having a comparable receiver to trade for Aiyuk hurt its cause, leading San Francisco to contact other teams about what would have essentially been a three-team trade. Most notably, they offered the Broncos a third-rounder for Courtland Sutton. The Steelers offered second- and third-round picks for Aiyuk, but the 49ers being unable to flip the third they would have obtained for Sutton helped keep Aiyuk in the fold. Sitting on the same extension offer for two-plus weeks, Aiyuk accepted and is now the NFL’s sixth $30MM-per-year receiver.

Considering how difficult it would have been for the 49ers to replace their top outside receiver at this juncture, a late-summer trade never made much sense. Had the 49ers been rebuilding and determined to obtain the most value, Aiyuk is probably in the AFC now. For one more season at least, the 49ers’ four-All-Pro skill-position setup — which includes Samuel and George Kittle on through-2025 contracts — is intact. A likely Purdy 2025 extension threatens to split up the quartet after this season.

Free agency additions:

These signings seem like they occurred years ago, as the 49ers’ holdover contracts overshadowed their outside additions. But Floyd represents a key piece for a team that carried far less proven edge rushers opposite Bosa for a multiyear stretch. After washing out with the Bears, Floyd revitalized his career alongside Aaron Donald. Floyd’s Bills work, however, showed he was not merely a Donald creation.

The former top-10 Chicago pick matched his career high with 10.5 sacks last season, becoming a vital defender for a Bills team that did not see Von Miller display his 2022 form after a second ACL tear. Given a one-year, $7MM Buffalo deal, Floyd anchored the AFC East champs’ pass rush. He is in San Francisco due to an assist from offseason hire Brandon Staley, the ex-Rams DC who pushed for a reunion.

Floyd, who turned 32 on Sunday, has been one of the 2020s’ most consistent rushers. He has totaled between nine and 10.5 sacks in each of the past four seasons and tallied between 18 and 22 QB hits each year this decade. Teaming with Bosa and highly regarded D-line coach Kris Kocurek should allow Floyd to continue producing at this level.

Gross-Matos’ market was rather curious, as he has one season with more than 3.5 sacks; even that slate (2023) involved only 4.5. He could not stick as a Panthers starter, despite ample opportunity. That said, the fifth-year player was a No. 38 overall pick. The 49ers also have a history rejuvenating DEs through their Bosa-Kocurek setup. Arden Key, Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu scored nice contracts after showing promise in San Francisco, and Clelin Ferrell went from Raiders washout to a full-time starter for a Super Bowl team last season. This contract indicates the 49ers view Gross-Matos as a player who will follow this career path. The team ended up needing more DE help, with 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson — who has not justified his draft slot — out for the season.

A rare free agency decommitment occurred involving San Francisco’s defensive second level. Eric Kendricks initially agreed to join the team during the legal tampering period on a deal that would have positioned him to be Fred Warner‘s three-down sidekick while Dre Greenlaw recovers. But he ultimately decided to reunite with Mike Zimmer in Dallas, which needed LB help on a non-temporary basis. This became Campbell’s gain, as he will attempt to bounce back from becoming a Packers cap casualty.

Now 31, Campbell completed a rebound in Green Bay. He went from Cardinals one-and-done to Packers first-team All-Pro, securing a five-year, $50MM Green Bay deal in 2022. While it never looked like Campbell would play out that lengthy contract, the Packers bailed after two seasons. The former Falcons draftee — selected during Kyle Shanahan‘s time in Atlanta — was a full-time player for the Packers; PFF slotted Campbell 47th among off-ball LBs last season. If Greenlaw’s rehab finishes accordingly, Campbell will shift from a three-down performer to a part-time player this season.

A wide-ranging competition ensued for the 49ers’ No. 3 cornerback gig, but Yiadom enters Week 1 in the role alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir. Because Lenoir can shift into the slot in sub packages, the 49ers could search for a boundary corner rather than a true nickel like Isaiah Oliver. The 49ers benched the slot cog last season, a year that featured Yiadom go from journeyman to intriguing Saints piece. Yiadom, 28, allowed merely a 48.9% completion percentage as the closest defender in 2023. Already on team No. 6, Yiadom appears a stopgap while second-rounder Renardo Green develops. The former Broncos third-rounder still appears an interesting piece for a 49ers team that has struggled at this CB3 spot since K’Waun Williams‘ 2022 exit.

Talanoa Hufanga is not expected to play against the Jets, but the All-Pro safety is nearing a debut after returning to practice. The 49ers kept the fourth-year defender off the reserve/PUP list, making a September return likely. Hufanga suffered an ACL tear on Thanksgiving last season. This timetable prompted a reinforcement strategy.

The 49ers added Walker, a 43-game Lions starter, as an insurance option. The team will keep 2023 third-rounder Ji’Ayir Brown as a starter when Hufanga returns, but fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha and veteran special-teamer George Odum join Walker as back-line options while Hufanga is down. San Francisco made an offer to Julian Blackmon, considered another Tashaun Gipson deal (before his PED suspension surfaced) and talked with Jamal Adams. Walker, however, ended up as the Hufanga safety net.

Re-signings:

Although a mid-offseason report tabbed Dobbs as being ahead of Allen for the 49ers’ QB2 gig, the nomadic arm could not stick the landing. Allen will move up from the third-string slot to replace Sam Darnold. The 49ers, who added Allen while Purdy and Trey Lance were recovering from injuries last May, are certainly more vulnerable to a Purdy injury compared to 2023.

Allen’s year in Shanahan’s system notwithstanding, he is a career 56.7% passer (6.1 yards per attempt) who has not made a start since 2021. Allen is 2-7 as a starter, Dobbs 3-11. This is not exactly abnormal, as teams’ fortunes worsen when backup quarterbacks enter the equation. But Darnold offered a more promising QB2 option. While the Rams brought in Purdy predecessor Jimmy Garoppolo (for $3.12MM) and Chiefs added Carson Wentz during this year’s backup carousel, the 49ers merely promoted from within.

Feliciano gave the 49ers a solid return on investment last season, moving from sixth man to replace the struggling Spencer Burford. The 10th-year veteran is back despite the 49ers talking with former starter-turned-Jets cap casualty Laken Tomlinson. While PFF rated Burford as the NFL’s second-worst guard regular last season, Feliciano — on the strength of his run blocking — graded as a top-five option. While the interior O-line vet’s market obviously suggested teams viewed him nowhere near the top five at the position, the 49ers retained important depth with this re-signing.

It will be interesting to see how the team uses him once he comes off IR. Feliciano, who has said he will retire after his age-32 season this year, recently underwent knee surgery.

Notable losses:

Making a seminal decision to re-sign Armstead at a cheaper rate (five years, $85MM) and trade DeForest Buckner in March 2020, the 49ers saw the older of the two Trent Baalke-era first-rounders become Bosa’s lead sidekick during their stellar 2020s run. Armstead shook the injury trouble of his early years — for a while, at least — and been one of the game’s best interior pass rushers.

Armstead, 31, confirmed he received a steep pay-cut offer to stay. The 49ers wanted to slash Armstead’s salary to $6MM. Confirming he felt “extremely disrespected” by San Francisco’s offer, Armstead passed and reunited with Baalke in Jacksonville. The nine-year 49er was proven right about his value, as a few teams — including DeMeco Ryans‘ Texans — pursued him and a $28MM full guarantee emerged. This was an impressive free agency showing from Armstead, who battled extensive injury trouble — the most recent leading to offseason knee surgery — over the past two seasons.

The 49ers had shown interest in retaining Young, but the former No. 2 overall pick ended up in New Orleans. Young, who cost the 49ers a third-round pick at the deadline, then underwent neck surgery for a problem that impacted his 2023 trade value. Per-game roster bonuses comprise a chunk of Young’s Saints contract. Ferrell, who played in front of Young despite the latter’s pedigree, signed a one-year, $3.75MM Commanders deal. Gregory signed a one-year Buccaneers deal but never reported. The 49ers’ first DE trade pickup last year has since retired.

Draft:

Deebo Samuel‘s status loomed over the 49ers’ draft. The team discussed its versatile wide receiver in trades over the draft’s first two days, with the Patriots, Steelers and Bills among the teams linked to the 2021 All-Pro. While John Lynch shut down Samuel and Aiyuk trades post-draft, he confirmed discussions commenced.

With Aiyuk now contracted through 2028, Samuel — who, at 28, is two years older — looms as a player who will come up in trade talks next year. Samuel’s three-year deal, which is more than $6MM south of Aiyuk’s AAV, expires after the 2025 season. The 49ers now have a long-term rookie contract set to complement Aiyuk.

The 49ers did well to identify Aiyuk in the 2020 first round out of Arizona State; they nabbed one of his former Sun Devils teammates this year. Pearsall did his best work after transferring to Florida. A five-year college receiver, Pearsall displayed good hands and impressed at the Senior Bowl. But he did not produce a 1,000-yard college season. He also missed much of the 49ers’ training camp due to injury. While the 6-foot-1 talent is part of a stacked depth chart, the 49ers soon needed to navigate a scary issue involving their potential Samuel heir apparent.

Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound to the chest while on his way to a signing event in San Francisco. A struggle for the gun took place, and both he and the suspect, a 17-year-old male, were shot. Pearsall, however, was released from the hospital soon after. He landed on San Francisco’s reserve/NFI list, which sidelines him for at least four games. This obviously impacts the parties’ plans for the receiver’s rookie year, but Pearsall may re-emerge on this year’s roster at some point.

Although a rumor pegged the 49ers as interested in Washington tackle Roger Rosengarten in Round 2, they traded down one spot and chose Green. A converted safety, Green led the ACC in passes defensed last season. The 49ers have trained the rookie in the slot and on the perimeter, as they have both Ward and Lenoir in contract years. Green profiles as a future starter in San Francisco, as it will be difficult for the team to extend both corners. Though, the club has expressed interest in extensions for both starters. This still might be an either/or situation, as the CBs join Hufanga and Greenlaw as contract-year starters on defense.

The team moved up eight spots for Puni, who has gone from Division II signee to Week 1 NFL starter. Puni, who began his career at Central Missouri before transferring to Kansas, won the 49ers’ starting right guard job out of camp. Mentioned first as a possible LG successor to contract-year blocker Aaron Banks, Puni will play opposite Banks after impressing during camp. Both Felciano and Buford battles injuries this summer, opening the door for the rookie.

RG instability has affected the 49ers over the past two years; they will hope Puni can solve the issue. Although the first-team All-Big 12 blocker spent six years in college, the COVID-19 pandemic nixing D-II’s 2020 season limited him to one game from 2020-21.

Trades:

Prior to Armstead making his free agency decision, one of his suitors made a deal with his former team. The Texans had given Collins three contracts in three years, including a two-year extension in 2023. The former Cowboys draftee had been a good find during GM Nick Caserio‘s early years in Houston, starting 46 games with the team. After signing his two-year, $23MM extension, Collins put together his best season — a five-sack campaign with 18 QB hits — and helped the Texans to an unlikely AFC South title. Collins, 29, becomes a cheaper Javon Hargrave complement compared to Armstead and is under contract — on a nonguaranteed salary — for the 2025 season as well.

Other:

Wilks’ defense (third in points, fourth in DVOA) did well against the Chiefs’ offense in Super Bowl LVIII for a while, holding the Patrick Mahomes-led unit to field goals — save for a drive that began in the 49ers’ red zone due to a punt-return mishap — until overtime. But Wilks’ highly ranked group struggled against the Packers and Lions, with the host nearly blowing both games, before folding late in the Super Bowl. San Francisco was down Hufanga and then Greenlaw against Kansas City, but Shanahan still made the DC a one-and-done.

Shanahan had considered promoting Sorensen in 2023. The rising staffer will bring some 49ers DNA back to the defense, having been with the team since 2022 and having been in Seattle for eight seasons. The former Pete Carroll defensive and special teams assistant coached the Seahawks’ secondary in the Legion of Boom’s final season together (2017).

Shanahan viewed Sorensen — a 10-year NFL vet — as needing a bit more time to develop, a la Ryans in his early years on the 49ers’ staff, but now has him running the defense. This will be a high-stakes debut for Sorensen, given the 49ers’ talent and recent past.

Ultimately elevating Sorensen, the 49ers had inquired about Spagnuolo — whose Chiefs defense has bested Shanahan’s unit twice in Super Bowls — and Ulbrich. The Jets made it clear their fourth-year DC was not available for a coordinator job, and the Chiefs soon extended their four-time Super Bowl-winning DC.

The Belichick overture did not appear to get too far, though the 24-year Patriots coach accepting Shanahan’s offer would have made for a fascinating partnership. The sides memorably collaborated on the much-discussed Jimmy Garoppolo trade in 2017. Belichick is out of the NFL for the fist time since 1974. He is planning to pursue another HC gig in 2025.

Joining Warner as one of the NFL’s top coverage linebackers, Greenlaw tearing an Achilles while jogging onto the field represents one of the unluckiest developments in Super Bowl history. Travis Kelce‘s strong finish was likely not a coincidence, and Sorensen will need to deal with — Campbell’s arrival notwithstanding — a void at linebacker while Greenlaw recovers. The 49ers had long been preparing to not have Greenlaw to open the season. Entering the second season of a two-year extension, the 27-year-old defender is a vital piece alongside Fred Warner. He must miss at least four games while on the PUP list.

Top 10 cap charges for 2024:

  1. Trent Williams, LT: $21.84MM
  2. Charvarius Ward, CB: $18.4MM
  3. Nick Bosa, DE: $14.67MM
  4. Fred Warner, LB: $12.65MM
  5. Deebo Samuel, WR: $12.23MM
  6. George Kittle, TE: $12.2MM
  7. Dre Greenlaw, LB: $9.6MM
  8. Javon Hargrave, DT: $9.27MM
  9. Christian McCaffrey, RB: $6.68MM
  10. Brandon Aiyuk, WR: $5.73MM

It does appear the 49ers are at a crossroads. The NFC’s best team, on the whole, over the past half-decade has continued to hit a wall. The 49ers and Andy Reid‘s Eagles are the only teams in the salary cap era to reach four conference championship games in a five-year span and not win a Super Bowl. With Purdy’s rookie-deal window closing, the 49ers face tremendous pressure to kick the door down this season.

Overcoming the Trey Lance debacle and remaining on the Super Bowl tier reflects well on this regime’s roster-building acumen, so the 49ers should not be viewed as a team with a closing window just because their seventh-round QB contract is unlikely to be part of next season’s calculous. But the stakes are obviously high for a veteran-laden team with a dominant skill-position armada and a host of contract-year defenders.

After Shanahan turned a Mr. Irrelevant into an ascending triggerman, the 49ers’ effort to parlay this luxury into a championship — especially after the Aiyuk and Williams standoffs — probably trails only the Chiefs’ threepeat bid among the 2024 season’s lead storylines.

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