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49ers Cap Off a Busy Day in NFL Free Agency Before It Even Begins

By Peter Panacy

Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers are tied to a slew of pending transactions before NFL free agency starts on March 9. Niner Noise recaps the day’s actions and hints at what is looking like a very exciting offseason.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch is nothing like his predecessor, Trent Baalke.

Sure, we’ve talked about this before. But wow. Lynch wasn’t hesitant to be aggressive on the free-agent market on March 8 — a day before NFL free agency officially begins.

The Niners were more than just active the day before free agency officially starts. Heck, the names added to the growing list of new 49ers could still increase between now and the time you read this article.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

In case you want to stay abreast of the latest signings and rumors, Niners Nation has a great free-agency tracker here.

On Tuesday, the 49ers parted ways with veteran safety Antoine Bethea. This should free up defensive backs Jimmie Ward and, possibly, Jaquiski Tartt to hold down the safety spots. It all depends on what happens now with Eric Reid.

But Lynch needed to add talent.

Already added to the roster were wide receiver DeAndre Carter, cornerback K’Waun Williams and nose tackle Earl Mitchell. Those moves help, especially in the case of Williams and Mitchell. Yet Lynch was nowhere close to being finished.

And Wednesday’s actions reinforced Lynch’s comments to the Niners Faithful to “stay awake.”

A Rundown of the 49ers Free-Agency Moves

The first notable move Lynch made was to bring in veteran wide receiver Pierre Garcon.

It would have been a stretch to try and land someone like former Washington Redskins teammate, DeSean Jackson, but Garcon has been more than productive over his career with both Washington and the Indianapolis Colts.

Related Story: 49ers to Sign Wide Receiver Pierre Garcon

Garcon immediately emerges as the team’s No. 1 receiving threat. And he already has a rapport with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, so one has to figure that’s a good thing.

On top of that, the Niners are also signing former Buffalo Bills wideout Marquise Goodwin — a prototypical slot receiver with plenty of speed to burn.

Nov 17, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (88) celebrates his second half touchdown against the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 37-14. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 17, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (88) celebrates his second half touchdown against the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 37-14. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

These two will add to the growing crop of receivers San Francisco will boast in 2017. A group that includes last year’s team leader in receptions and receiving yards, Jeremy Kerley.

Of course the Niners need someone to get those guys the ball. While it might not be the end-all solution, San Francisco is bringing aboard veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, who played under Shanahan’s tutelage when he was the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2014.

Expect the 49ers to add another quarterback, two or three via free agency and/or the NFL Draft.

And we can’t ignore San Francisco signing Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk either.

The former Baltimore Raven earned himself a Pro Bowl nod last season and will be an integral part of Shanahan’s offense, which utilizes a fullback.

This and That

Exact details of pending contracts have yet to be released. But as of March 8, the 49ers didn’t have to worry at all about cap space.

Per Spotrac.com, San Francisco was armed with $99,025,731 in cap space before the day’s plethora of signings.

Lynch and the Niners had no problem using some of that money like:

We can curb the enthusiasm a bit by understanding San Francisco still has a lot of work to do. Each one of these roster moves certainly won’t generate Pro Bowl results. But it sure is nice to see Lynch being more active than Baalke was in recent seasons.

NFL free agency officially starts at 4 p.m. ET on March 9.

More from Niner Noise

The Niners are likely going to be just as active during the next few days, and they still have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball.

But fans can relax a bit knowing Lynch is being proactive in trying to upgrade this roster as best as he possibly can.

Next: NFL Free Agency: Breaking Down Each Team's Biggest Need

And that’s a very refreshing thing.