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San Francisco 49ers: A pessimistic preview of the Niners’ 2018 season

By Peter Panacy

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 03: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers recovers his own fumbled snap against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defetaed the Bears 15-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 03: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers recovers his own fumbled snap against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defetaed the Bears 15-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/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) /

What If the 49ers’ Free-Agent, NFL Draft Classes Stink?

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

OK, so general manager John Lynch hit a home run in both free agency and the NFL Draft a year ago. For someone with zero front-office experience prior to 2017, that’s awfully good.

But Lynch can’t hit home runs every at-bat. Heck, even former GM Trent Baalke had a knockout 2011 draft class before falling flat with busted classes nearly every season between then and 2016.

Are our expectations on Lynch and his draft abilities too high? Should we expect the kind of results he produced last year in 2017? Or are we due for a correction in the “law of averages?”

Speaking of averages, the Niners are way over the average amount of teams’ salary cap room for 2018. With $115,944,832 available, per Over the Cap, the 49ers are the benchmark. No other team has more.

What if Lynch spends it wrong?

Rich Gosselin of NBC Dallas-Fort Worth offered up one notable take on free agency:

"Here’s Rule No. 1 in NFL free agency — never sign a player on the opening day. That’s when the crazy money is spent, the crazy contracts signed. The fans may love it, viewing every dollar spent as a sign of a commitment to winning by their team. But, oh, the mistakes that are made. Many of these new millionaires become salary-cap hits waiting to happen."

The Niners could get aggressive in free agency. That’s fine. But what if those players underachieve and wind up becoming burdensome cap hits the next few season?