Niner Noise talks 49ers free agency and lists which five free-agent players the 49ers should avoid like the plague during the upcoming offseason.
Newsflash: The San Francisco 49ers were terrible in 2016!
Alright, that’s not exactly stunning news. Neither is the release of general manager Trent Baalke and coach Chip Kelly.
San Fran is set to enter a bold, new era. This new era should absolutely not include quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert.
This season, Kaepernick was a lightning bolt of controversy. But, even before he decided to protest the national anthem, fans had already grown tired of his inability to play the position at a high level.
Gabbert, on the other hand, brings zero controversy. But he also has zero starting talent. Gabbert’s play this season has shown that he is a backup QB at best.
Neither of these guys should remain on the 49ers roster next season. Releasing them would be in everyone’s best interests. The team needs a complete overhaul and there are few pieces on this team worth keeping under the next regime.
Building through free agency rarely yields successful football teams, but some teams have achieved success through smart, calculated free-agent additions. The Denver Broncos, the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants are some of the three more prominent teams to do just that in recent years.
Still, free agency is a difficult place to maneuver. Some players will be worth their weight in gold. Others will simply be fool’s gold.
The following slideshows will reveal the five players the next 49ers personnel czar should leave on the free-agency aisle.
DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins
Our No. 5 free agent to leave on the shelf is current Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
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Jackson’s game is primarily predicated on his blazing speed. No. 11 is known for being a dangerous deep-threat receiving target. Jackson also has great hands, rarely dropping passes.
However, Jackson is currently 30 years old. Thirty is the age where most NFL players begin to decline. This decline is most evident with speed players. It will only be a matter of time before Father Time steals his speed.
According to Spotrac, Jackson is valued to command an annual salary of $7.6 million. In truth, Jackson will command more than that valuation.
The 49ers are better off targeting Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. At 26 years old, Jeffery is just about to enter his prime years. And, unlike Jackson, Jeffery’s game is not built on speed.
DeMarcus Ware, Outside Linebacker, Denver Broncos
Our No. 4 free agent to avoid is Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
At age 34, Ware is definitely on the back end of his career. Since 2012, Ware has been on a steady decline in performance. In his best season since 2012, Ware recorded 10.5 sacks in 2014.
However, Ware has failed to record double-digit sack numbers in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Ware’s current contract commands $10 million a season, which should make it easy for the next GM to avoid.
The 49ers should definitely look elsewhere to bolster their pass rush.
Lorenzo Alexander, Outside Linebacker, Buffalo Bills
Per Spotrac, Alexander’s current contract has an average annual salary of $885,000, and with 12 sacks on the season he looks like a great FA acquisition.
But much like our No. 3 FA to avoid, at age 32, Alexander is entering the downside of his career. In his previous nine seasons, Alexander never recorded a season sack total higher than 2.5.
The rebuilding 49ers need consistent performance from free-agent acquisitions. For this reason, the 49ers need to look elsewhere for pass-rushers.
A much better option would be Arizona Cardinals OLB, Chandler Jones. Jones’ sack totals of 46 in five years, averages to a 9.2 sacks-per-season average.
Jones would be a much better option than Alexander.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Quarterback, New York Jets
Coming in at No. 2 on our list of “free agents the 49ers should run from” is New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. No. 14, also known as “Fitzmagic,” has actually been quite the opposite.
Entering his 12th season, Fitzpatrick has shown no ability to lead a team to a championship trophy. Fitzpatrick has consistently shown the ability to be nothing more than a team’s stopgap option. Case in point, Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fitzpatrick’s desire to be paid $15 million per season should cause the 49ers future GM to have rolling belly laughs. His asking price simply does not match his on-field performance.
Again, he threw six interceptions in one game.
Moving on.
Tony Romo, Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys
Our No. 1 free agent the 2017 San Francisco 49ers should avoid is none other than Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Alright, Romo is not “scheduled” to be a free agent next season. The Cowboys have him signed until the end of the 2020 season. However he is no longer the team’s starting QB, as rookie sensation Dak Prescott has taken the reigns and shows no sign of letting them go.
The Cowboys are expected to either trade or flat release Romo at the end of 2016 season, and the 49ers would be wise to look elsewhere. Its not that Romo is a bad QB. In fact, since becoming the Cowboys starting QB back in 2006, Romo has been arguably a top-five QB in the league.
For his career, Romo has averaged a 65.3 completion percentage, 248 touchdowns to 117 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 97.1 In addition, Romo has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
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So why is Romo on this list? Romo has been hampered by season-ending injuries the last few years. In 2016, Romo was unable to be the starting QB due to recovering from offseason back surgery.
The 49ers play in the rough-and-tumble NFC West. Getting hit will be unavoidable in any division. But with the 49ers O-line situation, it is almost certain that Romo will end up missing time due to injury.
Had the 49ers possessed a strong O-line then this move could work but the they don’t, making protecting oft-injured Romo unrealistic.
The 49ers are better off looking at other free agents QBs such as Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor or Tampa Bay QB Mike Glennon to be a stopgap/potential starter while they draft a prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft.
For more 49ers news and analysis follow me on Twitter at @EricGamboa01.
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