With a slew of cap space, the San Francisco 49ers can afford to be aggressive in NFL free agency in 2018. Niner Noise looks at five possible players the team should target.
The San Francisco 49ers might be a two-win team 12 games into the 2017 season. But it’s a pretty safe assessment to say the Niners are finally trending in the right direction.
Acquiring quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo prior to the NFL trade deadline was one key move. Yes, he’s a pending free agent this offseason. But there’s no way San Francisco simply lets him walk, especially after giving up what promises to be a very high pick in Round 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Garoppolo will either receive a long-term extension or receive a franchise tag. So the 49ers can cross off that need from a long list.
San Francisco 49ers
And while the Niners will pay close attention to needs in the draft, free agency also opens up the door for some serious improvement.
According to Over the Cap, the Niners are projected to have $116,669,127 in available cap space (including this year’s rollover) for the upcoming offseason.
No other team has more.
Sure, some of that money will likely to go extensions. Perhaps Garoppolo’s eventual contract. And other players, such as running back Carlos Hyde and/or safety Eric Reid, may wind up seeing extensions too.
But the rest of the open market could be enticing enough. And we’ll look at some free agents San Francisco might want to lure in next season.
For the sake of clarity, we’ll focus on players not currently on the Niners roster.
No. 5: Offensive Guard Andrew Norwell, Carolina Panthers
It’s safe to say the biggest area the 49ers need to improve this offseason is the offensive line, especially along the interior.
Left guard Laken Tomlinson has been the biggest liability within this particular group, and right guard Brandon Fusco is also a pending free agent. And while the NFL Draft could provide some serious options, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see San Francisco tab free agency as an option.
Carolina Panthers left guard Andrew Norwell is an enticing option here. The Panthers extended right guard Trai Turner already this year, which could make it more difficult to extend Norwell beyond this season. True, Carolina isn’t hurting for cap space and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the franchise tag slapped on him.
Still, Norwell — a four-year pro — has been one of the more solid producers at this position, according to Pro Football Focus. He owns an 84.4 overall grade on the year, and his season grades in the NFL have never dipped below 82.8.
Sure, the Niners could be counting on a healthy return of second-year guard Joshua Garnett (injured reserve, knee) next season. But we don’t know how the 49ers’ coaching staff views him quite yet. And if Fusco walks, well, this becomes an even more pressing problem.
Norwell operates in a complex blocking scheme under Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula. Transitioning to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone blocking system shouldn’t be much of an adjustment.
No. 4: Tight End Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
On the surface, the 49ers don’t appear to need tight ends this offseason. After all, rookie TE George Kittle might be a nice long-term fixture. So why would San Francisco want to dip into free agency to find some upgrades here?
Well, Kittle has been nice, but we haven’t seen the kind of explosive production we hoped we’d see when he came out of Iowa. Outside of his seven-catch, 83-yard performance against the Indianapolis Colts back in Week 5.
Kittle is also tied for the team lead in drops (five) this season, which doesn’t help his stock.
A possible target on the free-agent market is Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham, 31 years old, has never come close to replicating the same success he enjoyed previously with the New Orleans Saints.
This could help drop his asking price a bit, but consider the addition to San Francisco’s offense.
Graham is an immediate red-zone threat — an element the Niners will need, and his middle-of-the-field routes are ideal for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
And if we’re buying into the Garoppolo-New England Patriots comparisons (i.e. slot receivers Julian Edelman, NE and Trent Taylor, SF), it’s not hard to connect the dots to a Rob Gronkowski-like player in a 49ers uniform.
No. 3: EDGE Junior Galette, Washington Redskins
The 49ers need help in the pass-rush department in a big way this offseason. Veteran EDGE Elvis Dumervil leads the team in sacks (5.5), and no one else on the Niners roster has more than two.
Dumervil, 33 years old, isn’t a long-term option, and San Francisco would be wise to add some young talent here in the NFL Draft this offseason.
But free agency is another route the team could go.
Teams can never have too many pass-rushers. And with fellow EDGE Aaron Lynch having fallen out of favor with the 49ers coaching staff, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the team target a supplementary piece in free agency.
One player to watch here is veteran EDGE Junior Galette from the Washington Redskins.
Galette has had somewhat of a disappointing year, stat-wise, posting just two sacks on the season. And serious injuries in 2015 and 2016 have likely capped what was looking to be a promising career. But his 79.9 Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade this season is enticing enough.
And his presence off the edge would help turn all those interior pass-rush moves by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner into sacks.
No. 2: Cornerback Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots
The 49ers have a young, promising cornerback in Ahkello Witherspoon, but No. 2 corner Dontae Johnson is poised to hit free agency. And it’s not likely the Niners want to bring him back anyway.
This position is of serious need to San Francisco this offseason, and going through free agency would add an experienced and NFL-ready player without having to worry about the almost-always struggles young defensive backs experience upon entering the league.
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler is going to command a pretty hefty salary this offseason and is arguably one of two or three top corners on the market.
The Patriots are projected to have $18,442,179 in cap space next year, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them let Butler walk.
Butler might not be playing at the Pro Bowl level he experienced back in 2015. But his 79.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade is a considerable upgrade over Johnson’s 42.4 mark, meaning the 49ers would have two capable defensive backs at this critical position.
Again, Butler wouldn’t come cheap. But that isn’t a problem for San Francisco right now.
No. 1: Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins, Los Angeles Rams
Neither current 49ers wide receivers Pierre Garçon nor Marquise Goodwin are true No. 1 options on a depth chart. Solid No. 2s, yes, but not a top-tier option.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan will need one of those sooner than later, and what a steal it would be to land current Los Angeles Rams wideout Sammy Watkins in free agency.
Despite the Rams’ prolific offense, Watkins has only managed 528 yards on 31 receptions. He’s taken the “second fiddle” role to No. 1 wideout Robert Woods and has also lost catches to Rams slot receiver Cooper Kupp.
Simply put, Watkins doesn’t seem to be a long-term fit in L.A. But San Francisco?
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ESPN’s Field Yates (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone) actually suggests this to be a perfect match, writing:
"San Francisco is flush with cap space and plenty of cash to approach free agency as it sees fit. With Jimmy Garoppolo likely set in stone as the long-term starter at quarterback, addressing weapons around him is a must. Watkins, still 24 years old, would give the Niners their best talent at wide receiver and should pair nicely with veteran Pierre Garçon. Watkins’ price tag will likely be steep."
Pricey, yes. But the addition would suddenly turn San Francisco’s receiving corps into a legitimate weapon. The combination of Watkins, Garçon, Goodwin and slot wideout Trent Taylor could be pretty intimidating.
Next: Making the call on 49ers' 2018 free agents
It would cost the 49ers a lot. Yet going this route in free agency wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.