NFL Free Agency: 2016 Primer for San Francisco 49ers

Assessing the Free Agent Class Throughout the League

The 49ers have a ton of money at the right time. The soon-to-be free agent class is loaded this year. With a budget that’s got plenty of room for others, the 49ers could sign multiple players from around the league to high-priced contracts. A few well-executed moves could have this team back in contention for a division title much faster than most thought.

Check out the entire free agent class at NFL.com.

The 49ers have had plenty of names floated out as potential targets. One can expect that Baalke and his staff will examine any and all free agents that might be able to help the team grow. Quite simply, it’s a relatively clear goal. Replace the players that leave. Whether done through the draft or free agency, for every player that goes, one’s got to come through the door.

The trick is, of course, making sure that the players that are here are better than those that go.

The 49ers have needs on both sides of the ball. How you prioritize those needs might depend on what you expect of the team in Kelly’s first year as head coach. There’s never a bad time to make sure you have a dominant offensive line. Similarly, a dynamic wide receiver can mask deficiencies all over the field. And, as we saw on Sunday, a dominant defense is often the key to championships.

How the 49ers elect to spend their money will be a multi-step plan that includes draft strategies and decisions on their own players first. Having money to spend is wonderful. But spending incorrectly could keep the team looking up in the NFC West division.

The 49ers are situated perfectly to sign at least one, if not more, of the biggest names on the market. Whether they target the New York Jets’ defensive tackle Muhammed Wilkerson or one of the talented outside linebackers in Denver’s Von Miller or Seattle’s Bruce Irvin, the 49ers moves will be directly linked to how they feel about the current roster and their draft strategy.

Predicting where the 49ers might spend money is difficult without a clear view of who will be available. While Wilkerson and Irvin may get to play the market, most assume that Miller will either be signed or franchise-tagged by Denver. As much as the 49ers might like to target Miller, he may never be an option.

There will be, however, excellent bargains and the 49ers should look there to build the depth of the team back after watching a mass exodus over recent seasons. Specifically, there are five players that the team should target.

Baalke could easily decide to spend the majority of the 49ers resources attempting to sign players that would come from other teams. Players like Miller aren’t available every season. His exceptional career as a Bronco makes him the hottest commodity on the market. The 49ers will be one of just many teams to line up for his services.

The front office will have to negotiate the immediate needs of the team with trying to build for future and sustainable success. The dominance of one player can immediately impact a unit on the team but there’s a price associated with that strategy. In every move, Baalke will be guessing at the return of his investment.

The 49ers need to hope that he guesses correctly more often than not.

Next: 49ers Approach to Free Agency