The San Francisco 49ers faced several questions heading into the offseason due to cap space constraints and the impending free agency of several rotational free agents.
This sparked a discussion on whether the 49ers may make a big splash in the offseason, as they have with guys like Charvarius Ward and Javon Hargrave.
The 49ers have had a very successful offseason despite making no real moves this year.
Let’s dissect it.
The 49ers put an end to rumors that Brandon Allen might return by offering him a one-year, $2.25 million contract that is fully guaranteed and includes up to $750,00 in incentives.
The 49ers went with the more costly option last offseason, paying Sam Darnold $4.5 million to be the backup quarterback. Brock Purdy, the starting quarterback, was initially doubtful for Week 1 due to a serious injury he had during the playoffs.
But this summer, there were no doubts about the starting quarterback for the first time in a long time, which allowed the 49ers to take the less expensive path and come up with a workable answer.
That’s exactly what Dobbs is; his $2.25 million contract is the third-cheapest quarterback deal signed this offseason, behind Josh Johnson and Russell Wilson, who received the league minimum after being cut by the Denver Broncos.
Dobbs, who is still only 29 years old, was outpaid by backups Mason Rudolph, Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, Mitchell Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, and Tyrod Taylor.
Dobbs demonstrated his ability to win games last season, but more significantly, the trade spared the 49ers from overspending at one of the most overvalued positions in football.
This offseason, the 49ers made the decision to keep their whole offensive line, signing Jon Feliciano to a second, cheap deal that will carry a $2.72 million cap charge for a single year.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Feliciano will start for the 49ers at right guard.
The team also decided to extend the contract of right tackle Colton McKivitz for one additional season, which was a wise decision that I’ll discuss in a later piece.
Despite the ups and downs experienced by the offensive line in 2023, the 49ers managed to maintain continuity at a low cost and will have the chance to add talent in a top-heavy tackle class through the draft.
Based on their current actions, San Francisco appears to be leaning toward selecting an offensive tackle at No. 31, which maygive McKivitz some competition at right tackle, perhaps on opening day or later.
Although the 49ers aren’t among their finest teams, they have made the decision to remain frugal and haven’t become any worse this summer.
The 49ers decided to address their depth to replace the vacuum left by free agent Chase Young, rather than making a big splash signing like they did with Javon Hargrave last offseason.
It was unfortunate to lose Arik Armstead as a post-June 1st cut because of his leadership, experience, and excellent on-field performance.
However, San Francisco made several changes to their defensive line, including the signing of Jordan Elliott to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Elliott finished 2023 as a defensive tackle with a top-seven run-stop win percentage.
Then, in perhaps their best offseason transaction, they acquired Maliek Collins from the Houston Texans for a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Collins will provide a reliable interior pass-rusher to pair with Elliott in a rotation opposite Hargrave.
Leonard Floyd, an edge player who has been reliable and consistent in his output over the last four years, was signed by the 49ers to a two-year, $20 million contract that has a potential value of $24 million.
They also took a chance on the future when they signed 26-year-old edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos, giving him a two-year deal worth $18 million.
Almost every decision the 49ers have taken has followed a similar pattern: a two-year contract with an option to terminate it after one season.
San Francisco traded for Collins, and he still has two years left on his contract, the second of which is guaranteed nothing.
Gross-Matos is the only player who might not be eligible due to his contract arrangement, although the 49ers might view him as a two-year project to develop.
It’s evident that the organization feels that the next one to two years are their Super Bowl window with the new group of players, which makes sense since that’s when the team has to decide whether to give Brock Purdy, a great quarterback, his due compensation.
The 49ers made two additions at linebacker: they signed special teamer Ezekiel Turner to replace Oren Burks and added veteran D’Vondre Campbell on a one-year contract to provide some insurance.
The 30-year-old Campbell, who played in Joe Barry’s defense in Green Bay for two seasons, was an All-Pro in 2021, but he has struggled since.
He will start as linebacker number three but move up to number two if Dre Greenlaw misses any significant time due to an Achilles injury.
Although it’s not a spectacular acquisition, San Francisco gets veteran depth from a versatile linebacker, which is what they were hoping for.
Although it’s not a spectacular acquisition, San Francisco gets veteran depth from a versatile linebacker, which is what they were hoping for.
The 49ers wanted to add a younger linebacker to their special team since Burks was leaving for Philadelphia, and Turner seemed to be a good fit.
Once more, San Francisco didn’t make a big splash, but they did enough to ensure that they had depth at a position where their best players already excel.
The 49ers signed Chase Lucas, who appears to be mostly a special teams player, and Isaac Yiadom, who may challenge for the No. 3 spot, in the secondary.
Alongside George Odum, who recently signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension, Lucas, who has experience as a gunner, fills that job.
After starting the season as a special teamer and being asked to play more cornerback, Yiadom, who had trouble at the position early in his career, had a better second half of the season with the Saints.
Although there are backup possibilities on the roster in case they are unable to locate a Day 1 starter next month, the 49ers may still want to address the position in the draft, particularly given the quality of this nickelback class.
The 49ers have said nothing about safety, but there have been rumors the team may pursue a player.
If the market for the position doesn’t emerge as free agency progresses, Justin Simmons is a compelling possibility.
However, it appears that Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga will begin at safety right now.
It’s unclear, though, who will be the free safety.
All things considered, though, the 49ers preferred to flesh out their roster than create a big impression by addressing depth issues.
As a result, San Francisco’s roster is almost exactly the same as it was in 2023, with the exception of a minor decline due to Armstead’s departure as defensive lineman.
Still, it appears like the 49ers are using this summer to solidify their roster before the draft, even though there were concerns before free agency opened.
They’re now in a position to pursue the depth at critical positions thanks to the method they’ve tackledfinest talent accessible in what promises to be a very important draft for their future.
