Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 5 free agents worth targeting in 2018

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Chris Harper #14 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch over Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Chris Harper #14 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch over Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on November 20, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 02: General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers answers questions from the media on Day 2 of the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 02: General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers answers questions from the media on Day 2 of the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

While NFL free agency is a long way away, Niner Noise takes a look at five players the San Francisco 49ers should target to help boost the team in 2018.

There’s a lot that could happen between now and the start of NFL free agency in 2018, but we have a pretty good idea what the San Francisco 49ers’ needs will be five weeks into this season.

The winless Niners have shortages on both sides of the ball, and no amount of effort from first-year general manager John Lynch could have turned around a 2-14 franchise in 2016 to a possible playoff contender in one offseason.

But there’s good news for San Francisco. According to Over the Cap, the Niners have an NFL-leading $63,075,288 in available cap space this season. Expiring contracts in 2018 project Lynch to have an additional $49,043,544 available next year.

The Niners roll over their cap space every year, so the combined amount would be somewhere near $112 million against a projected $178 million cap.

That’s a lot of money.

Unlike his predecessor, Trent Baalke, Lynch has shown his willingness to use free agency as a tool to beef up various parts of the roster.

And he’ll have some potential free agents worth looking at this upcoming offseason.

Here are five of them he should consider.