8 Players the 49ers Should Consider After First Wave of Free Agency

The San Francisco 49ers initial wave of free agency has been underwhelming to say the least.  Which players could they consider to make a splash now?

The first few days of free agency have come and gone, and the San Francisco 49ers have shocked the world and turned the league upside down by signing Thad Lewis, ex-Eagles quarterback!

…Alright, so the 49ers haven’t exactly set the world on fire during free agency so far.  With the exception of re-signing Ian Williams—a much-needed move which shores up the interior of the defensive line—the 49ers have yet to address any of the holes they faced entering this offseason.

That’s not to say there aren’t still names out there that the 49ers could grab to boost the team.  Yes, the prime of the prime are gone, but so are players who will be overpaid based on one or two good seasons.  There are still bargains and good players to be found for the saavy shopper.  Let’s take a look at the top players remaining at the positions the 49ers need the most.

OT Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks

The longer Okung sits on the market, the better odds the 49ers can grab him for a reasonable price.  Okung’s been a bit up-and-down in his career, thanks in large part to an extended injury history, but he’s a very talented player and the best offensive lineman still available.  Part of the delay in signing him may be the fact that he’s his own agent; the rules against teams contacting players during the tampering period means that he couldn’t negotiate as early as some of the other agents could.

But never mind all that!  Okung’s no longer a top-10 tackle in the league, but he’s a solid run defender and large body.  He’s adequate as a left tackle, but if he can make the move over to the right he’d be among the top players at the position.  Michael Silver has reported that the 49ers are “in the mix” for the offensive tackle, which bodes well if you’re hoping the 49ers will make something resembling a splash.

The 49ers should definitely try to get in on the Okung sweepstakes to protect whoever will be behind center in 2016.

CB Casey Hayward, Green Bay Packers

Hayward was stellar as a rookie in 2012, though injuries and other issues have slowed him down the past few years.  When healthy, he’s an above-average corner who can play on the outside or in the slot.  He’s not the true shut-down corner fans were hoping for, but he would bolster the 49ers’ secondary significantly.

There’s been no significant movement on Hayward this free agency period—the fact that he recorded zero interceptions last season probably has bumped him down some on people’s charts, but he played 88 percent of Green Bay’s snaps, and provided very solid coverage.  He’s worth kicking the tires on.

C Stefen Wisniewski, Jacksonville Jaguars

Wisniewski is one of the best pass-blocking centers in football, and an above-average run blocker, to boot.  Few teams wanted to take a chance on him last year, after he had an injury-plagued 2014, but he played very well on a one-year deal in Jacksonville and is due a fairly decent-sized pay increase.

The 49ers could slide Wisniewski in at center and move Daniel Kilgore over to guard, helping to kill two birds with one stone.  You can argue about whether or not Wisniewski represents an upgrade at center, but moving Kilgore over would help offset the loss of Alex Boone.

QB Robert Griffin III, Washington

Call me skeptical that Thad Lewis is the answer to anything at the quarterback position.  If the 49ers really are dead-set on trading away Colin Kaepernick, they could replace him with a less-successful version of basically the same skillset.  We all remember what Griffin did in 2012, where he took the league by storm.  The 49ers could gamble on his decline being due to injuries and poor coaching.  A fresh start in a new system might be what RGIII needs to revitalize his career.

Griffin should not be brought in and handed the starting role—he should have to earn it, alongside Lewis, Blaine Gabbert and preferably an early-round draft pick.  Adding someone with Griffin’s upside to the mix, however, could pay off in the long run.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicates that the 49ers would be the most logical place for RGIII to go, but he’s also visited the Jets in recent days.  Nothing will happen here until a final decision on Colin Kaepernick is made.

OLB Aldon Smith, Oakland Raiders

There are ten million reasons why this is a bad idea, but if the 49ers want pass-rushing prowess, there’s no better 3-4 outside linebacker available on the market.

When the 49ers released Smith in 2015, they made a point of saying that the “support and concern” for him will continue.  They made a point of not burning every bridge between the player and the franchise.  While signing Smith—and his one-year suspension, which is eligible to end in November—would bring with it no end to the headaches the team suffered with him, on pure talent alone, he’s the best option out there.  An incentive laden deal—maybe even the league minimum, plus a bonus for sacks, with the ability to get out of the deal if he so much sneezes at the wrong time—might be a risk worth taking for some NFL team.

ILB Bruce Carter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bruce Carter was a square peg in a round hole a middle linebacker in a 4-3 system, and that’s why the Buccaneers eventually benched him.  In a 3-4 system in Dallas back in 2012, however, Carter was much better, working better as a coverage player in tandem rather than holding down the middle of the field by himself.  He’s not going to make anyone forget about Patrick Willis anytime soon, but if Carter can get back into a 3-4 system like the 49ers use, he might be able to regain the form that made Tampa Bay give him a large contract last offseason to begin with.

WR Rueben Randle, New York Giants

Rueben Randle has had a frustrating career.  He clearly has all the talent to put everything together and become a great second option, or even a passible top receiver, but he’s exceptionally inconsistent.  He’s very streaky—he’ll burst onto the scene with big games, and follow it up with a week or two where he’s practically invisible.  His big-play production dropped off in 2015, but he hit 938 receiving yards in 2014 with 71 receptions.  If Anquan Boldin leaves, as is expected, Randle could help bolster depth in the receiving corps.

OG Amini Silatolu, Carolina Panthers

Silatolu started 15 games as a rookie in 2012, but injuries to just 13 starts over the past three seasons, and the emergence of Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner have made him an odd man out in Carolina.  He was very solid as a rookie, and has played well when in the lineup since then; he’s just the third best player on the team at his position.  He might be the best guard on the 49ers, if he’s fully recovered from his most recent torn ACL.  He’s from Tracy, too, so San Francisco would be like coming home.

Next: A Look at the 49ers Salary Cap

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Bryan Knowles is a staff writer here at Niner Noise.  Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.