Heading into NFL free agency, the big-name free agents typically garner all of the headlines. But the blue-chip, role players should begin to get attention. Let’s take a look at five blue-chip free agents the San Francisco 49ers should target.
Every year, NFL fans tend to fall in love with the sexy, prized free-agent signings. Team supporters constantly forget that the real reason for team success is not that one coveted signing, but the role players signed in the following weeks.
In reality, the prized signings rarely work out because the team overpays for the free agent. Then, expectations are high on a player to perform and deliver every Sunday.
Not all players turn out this way, but many do.
San Francisco 49ers
On the other hand, there are low-risk, high-reward players. These are the guys that won’t show up on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays, but their impact is felt every Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers will have just shy of $79 million to spend this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com. Most likely, general manager John Lynch and the 49ers’ brass will pursue coveted free agents, but they should also consider these blue-chip ones as well.
Establishing the Criteria
So what separates a blue-chip free agent from a coveted, big-name one?
Let’s establish some ground rules that were used in determining these free-agent bargains for the 49ers:
- The free agent will have an annual salary of less than $7-8 million.
- The player added must be a supplementary piece or additional depth.
With this framework, here are 5 blue-chip free agents the 49ers should pursue in NFL free agency.
No. 1: Fullback Patrick DiMarco
Since former head coach Chip Kelly took over the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, the fullback position was eradicated from their offense. With Kyle Shanahan now calling the plays, a fullback would be an essential addition to their offense.
Establishing the Need
Shanahan’s offenses utilize all of the weapons and playmakers that are at his disposal. These past two years with the Atlanta Falcons utilized their fullback in a variety of passing situations.
Having a fullback is like a Swiss Army knife, as offensive coordinators can line them up in different spots along the line of scrimmage. Fullbacks can be in the backfield, blocking for a running back, or split out and be a safety blanket for quarterbacks.
The last fullback that the 49ers had was Bruce Miller, who is no longer with the team due to his off-the-field issues.
Why Patrick DiMarco?
Patrick DiMarco, who will turn 28 years old before the season, is coming off of his best season in the NFL.
Under Shanahan’s offense the past two years, DiMarco saw his best two year stretch. He caught 20 passes for 162 yards with three touchdowns.
With the connection the Shanahan, the 49ers should be able to pull him away from the Falcons at a reasonable price.
According to Spotrac, DiMarco’s last contract was for two years at $1.5 million. I think he’ll be a little more expensive this time around, probably in the $2 million range, which would make him one of the highest paid fullbacks.
It’s a no-brainer, the 49ers get a solid fullback, with experience in Shanahan’s offense at a discounted price.
No. 2: Linebacker Kevin Minter
Ever since the retirement of linebacker Patrick Willis, the 49ers have been desperately searching for LB NaVorro Bowman’s partner in crime.
Establishing a Need
The 49ers will most likely start Bowman and Ray-Ray Armstrong as their middle linebackers. San Francisco definitely will spend huge money in the free-agent market for this position.
The Niners could definitely use some depth, as both starting LBs from last year ended up on injured reserve. Linebackers Michael Wilhoite, Nick Bellore and Gerald Hodges are all set to be free agents this season.
They will definitely need to dig through the bargain bin to find someone that can serve in that backup role and play heavily on special teams.
Why Kevin Minter?
Our very own Eric Gamboa considered LB Reuben Foster with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. There are other intriguing free-agent options, such as LB Zach Brown or LB Dont’a Hightower.
But both are expected to receive large contracts, which could be in the neighborhood of $10 million, according to Spotrac.
The 49ers will need to build their inside linebacker depth, and LB Kevin Minter could be a huge addition.
Minter played 1,003 snaps this past season, second most on the Arizona Cardinals defense. He recorded 82 tackles and career-high 3.5 sacks this past season.
At only 26, he would be a fantastic addition to a 49ers defense that needs healthy playmakers. It would also hurt the Cardinals, a divisional opponent.
On the open market, Minter will probably command around $4 million to $5 million per year. Comparing numbers on OverTheCap.com, I think Minter’s comparable would be LB Wesley Woodyard in 2015, and he makes around $4 million this year.
Minter could be a big piece to a 49ers defense that desperately needs healthy players.
No. 3: Wide Receiver Kenny Stills
One of Kyle Shanahan’s biggest advantages with the Atlanta Falcons was the number of offensive weapons he had. Although Shanahan came to San Francisco, he won’t be bringing wide receivers Julio Jones or Mohamed Sanu with him.
Establishing a Need
The San Francisco 49ers’ starting wide receiving corps in 2016 included Quinton Patton, Torrey Smith and Jeremy Kerley. Patton and Kerley are pending free agents, though I expect Kerley to be back with the team.
Bruce Ellington was expected to be a serious contributor in 2016, but ended the season on injured reserve. He’ll be back in 2017 for the final year on his rookie contract.
The 49ers are lacking playmakers and will need to spend some of the $79 million in cap space on a wide receiver.
Why Kenny Stills?
There’s no true No. 1 wide receiver on the market, with WR Alshon Jeffrey being the closest. But Jeffrey is coming off of a four-game suspension and an injury-filled tenure in Chicago.
Kenny Stills is in the next tier, but he would immediately become the best wide receiver on the 49ers. At 24 years old, he’s been in the NFL for four seasons and has improved in every phase.
After a down year in 2015 with the Miami Dolphins, Stills saw a resurgence in his career. He caught 42 passes for 726 yards, with a career-high nine touchdowns.
He’s a home-run threat, as he averaged nearly 17.5 yards per catch with a long of 74 yards.
As far as the contract, the Dolphins WR will get a contract worth an average of $6.5 million, according to Spotrac.
He would serve an immediate need and be a long-term contributor the 49ers.
No. 4: Center JC Tretter
The San Francisco 49ers have had better offensive line play in 2016, but it still has a lot of room to improve. Starting with the center position, the 49ers could use an upgrade.
No better place to look than free-agent center JC Tretter.
Establishing a Need
According to Pro Football Focus, the 49ers in 2015 and 2016 were ranked 27th in offensive line play. LT Joe Staley and RT Trent Brown were effective this past season and will likely be back in the same position.
Guard Zane Beadles turned out to be one of ex-GM Trent Baalke’s best free-agent signings, as his versatility proved vital for the offensive line.
At the center position, C Daniel Kilgore has only started 25 of the last 36 games and injuries have been a concern. Former third-round pick Marcus Martin has been a disappointment and shouldn’t get a run at the starting center job.
Here’s where Tretter comes in, immediately filling a position of need and stabilizing an offensive line that desperately needs continuity.
Why JC Tretter?
On the free-agent market, there are not very many center options. Tretter certainly is an intriguing option, who started in seven games for the Green Bay Packers this past season.
The ex-Green Bay center did have knee surgery this past season, that caused him to miss the last nine games. But the offensive line for the Packers was significantly better with Tretter rather than Corey Linsley, who replaced him.
According to Paul Johnson as LombardiAve.com, Tretter has been oft-injured, but when he’s in the lineup can be a really good offensive lineman. Johnson also goes to add that Tretter probably will get backup money from either the Packers or someone else.
At that price, the San Francisco 49ers should definitely snatch him up. Spotrac values Tretter at $9 million, but with his various injuries, I think that’s realistically closer to $6 million.
No. 5: Quarterback Brian Hoyer
The 49ers will head into the offseason with only one quarterback on the roster: Colin Kaepernick.
As I had stated in an earlier article on NinerNoise, I think that Kaepernick should part ways with the 49ers.
Establishing a Need
The need here is pretty simple for the 49ers. They only have one quarterback on the roster, who will most likely opt out, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortenson.
Our very own Peter Panacy wrote earlier that the expectation is that QB Kirk Cousins will not land with the 49ers. Reports from ESPN’s Ed Werder also indicated that the New England Patriots will not trade QB Jimmy Garappolo:
Based on what I heard from people inside #Patriots at SB and those familiar with their approach, I'm not expecting @JimmyG_10 to be traded
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) February 16, 2017
This means that the 49ers will most likely need to draft a rookie quarterback and sign a veteran “bridge” quarterback who can start immediately. Here’s where free-agent QB Brian Hoyer comes into the picture.
More from SF 49ers Free Agency
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- 49ers bolster wide receiver room by grabbing Chris Conley
- 49ers news: Kerry Hyder is back to bolster defensive line depth
- Low-risk free agents 49ers can still target before NFL Draft
- 49ers aren’t talking to this free agent (but they should)
Why Brian Hoyer?
When looking for veteran “bridge” quarterbacks, it’s ideal if he has prior experience with the current offensive coordinator or head coach. Hoyer started 13 games for the Cleveland Browns when Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator there.
During those 13 games, he was able to lead the Browns to a 7-6 record, throw for 3,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Arguably, he has improved in the years since, throwing fewer interceptions and at a higher completion rate.
By no means is he the quarterback of the future and hopefully will get beaten out by the rookie quarterback. But Hoyer will be a great addition at a cheap price for a team that could use veteran quarterback help.
According to Spotrac, his contract with the Chicago Bears was one year at $2 million, and I see the 49ers signing him for something very similar.
Next: Top 5 Defensive Players in 49ers History
The 49ers currently have $79 million in cap space and should spend their money on these blue-chip free agents who will consistently contribute on Sundays.