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San Francisco 49ers: 5 Biggest Mistakes the Team Made This Offseason

By Trevor Irvine

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke addresses the media in a press conference after naming Chip Kelly (not pictured) as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke addresses the media in a press conference after naming Chip Kelly (not pictured) as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung (76) blocks San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 22, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung (76) blocks San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Keeping Ahmad Brooks

Brooks is the highest earning on-the-field non-achiever in football.

Last season he had a cap hit of $7,055,000, per Spotrac. Throw in his 6.5 season sacks, and he nearly made a million bucks a sack!

What a bargain!

With the retirements of Willis and Smith, Brooks had a golden opportunity to become a team leader and further elevate his game.

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he responded by ranking 88th out of 110 qualified edge defenders with a grade of plus-53.4 (from a zero to 100 scale). This figure included a pass-rush grade of plus-47.6 (from the same scale).

For a guy who is expected to rush the passer, this ranking is awful. He is going into the 2016 season as the fourth-highest paid player on the roster. The pay grade does not match the production.

If the Niners weren’t a trillion dollars under the salary cap, he would have been a cap casualty. But for mere production reasons, he should have not made it through this offseason. This was another mistake.

Next: Jarryd Hayne should not have been allowed to walk