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NFL free agency: 5 players the 49ers shouldn’t target in 2018

By Jay Marsdale

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 24: Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins #12 of the Los Angeles Rams carries the ball against the Tennessee Titians at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 24: Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins #12 of the Los Angeles Rams carries the ball against the Tennessee Titians at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 10: Sheldon Richardson #91 of the Seattle Seahawks walks off the field during the second half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 10, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 10: Sheldon Richardson #91 of the Seattle Seahawks walks off the field during the second half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 10, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers are in a great spot to build a winning team heading into 2018. Their decisions in NFL free agency this summer are crucial in setting the 49ers up to be contenders next year. Everyone is focused on who they should get, but who are the players to avoid in the 2018 free-agent class?

The San Francisco 49ers front office has plenty of money to spend this offseason. They need to make the correct moves to set this promising young team up for success.

There are a few key holes that need to be filled and a myriad of possibilities on what players could fill them. Making the wrong decisions this offseason could cripple this teams solid development.

Players need to fit into the system correctly, be quality character players, and most importantly, perform well on the field. Not every free agent fits this criteria and extensive research is necessary on each possible future 49er.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Fans love seeing the big-name, flashy signing until they backfire. Acquiring two or three lesser-known players that fit the team better will lead to more wins in 2018.

Ultimately, that is what fans really want to see.

There are five players that the San Francisco 49ers need to avoid in this year’s NFL free agency class. The 49ers are certainly going to be active this offseason, but these players are not needed to help them win moving forward.

No. 1: DT Sheldon Richardson

Sheldon Richardson is near the top of this year’s defensive free agents, but he should be nowhere near the 49ers’ radar this summer. Giving Richardson the big deal he will be asking for would be catastrophic.

Before even looking at Richardson on the field, we need to speak about his off-the-field struggles. Richardson has been suspended multiple times by the league including a four-game suspension back in 2014 when he played for the New York Jets. He was also ejected from a game this season against Jacksonville for getting into a brawl as time expired. His attitude and past suspensions alone should deter the 49ers brass from even considering Richardson.

On top of his off-the-field issues, Richardson’s play has also declined over the past few seasons. He has 2.5 sacks in the past two years combined. As a comparison, in his first three seasons in the NFL he recorded 16.5 sacks. Richardson is no longer the Pro Bowler he once was with the Jets.

There are few other top-notch defensive tackles hitting NFL free agency this offseason, so Richardson is in a good spot being one of the best available. Several teams will be willing to overpay for Richardson because of this, but the 49ers shouldn’t be one of them.

There are far better and cheaper options to choose from in this year’s draft and currently on the roster. San Francisco needs to stand pat at defensive tackle and build up their defense at other positions through free agency in 2018.