The San Francisco 49ers appear to be in pretty good shape heading into 2018, although there are some critical moves the team should make in free agency, the NFL Draft and elsewhere.
Signs are beginning to point to the San Francisco 49ers being a legitimate playoff contender in 2018.
After all, the Niners locked up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the next five years. And by all accounts, he seems to be the real deal.
The team also brought back veteran center Daniel Kilgore, who was a pending free agent, ensuring continuity between he and Garoppolo. Kilgore’s play improved dramatically when Garoppolo took over starting duties late last season.
That will help. But the Niners still have plenty of holes to fill on both sides of the ball.
General manager John Lynch is armed with a top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, as well as roughly $74.5 million in available cap space after the Garoppolo and Kilgore deals. That’s a pretty good position to be in, especially for a team still looking to make serious upgrades.
So what would some of those be?
In this slideshow, we’ll look at five moves Lynch and Co. need to make this offseason and why each is so critical to the team’s chances this season.
No. 5: Find a Backup to Linebacker Reuben Foster
Linebacker Reuben Foster’s recent arrest on charges of domestic violence and possession of an assault rifle puts the 49ers in a serious bind.
San Francisco is waiting the situation out. Surely, the team understands how important Foster is on the field. And being a first-round investment, the Niners won’t take the investigation and eventual “what to do?” decision lightly.
San Francisco 49ers
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco summed up the predicament:
"But there is no way of knowing at this stage what the investigation will produce and whether the 49ers can justify retaining Foster on their team. But, from a football standpoint, it does not matter. Even if Foster remains on the team, the 49ers have to approach this offseason as if he will not be available for all 16 games. The personnel department has look to strengthen the roster as if Foster will never play another down of football for the organization."
Even if the 49ers elect to keep Foster, the NFL could easily hand down the minimum six-game suspension dealt to first-time domestic violence offenders regardless what the legal outcome is. Combined with a previous arrest for illegal marijuana possession in Alabama the previous month, the red flags are popping.
Either way, the Niners need to add a serviceable linebacker capable of backing Foster up, either due to a possible suspension and/or to serve as insurance against Foster’s injury history.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Paul Posluszny is a pending free agent, likely not to cost much based off his advanced age (33 years old). And Niner Noise’s own Florito Maniego argued the Tennessee Titans’ Avery Williamson might be a nice long-term solution if needed.
Regardless who the target is, it’s a situation San Francisco needs to address.
No. 4: Sign Right Tackle Trent Brown to a Contract Extension
The Niners brought back Daniel Kilgore, helping alleviate interior offensive line needs. One of the next moves should be to ensure right tackle Trent Brown doesn’t hit free agency any time soon.
Brown might not be the perfect fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme. And Brown is a far better in pass protection than in run support. The fact he missed six games this season also casts a shadow on how the 49ers feel about his long-term durability.
His 79.3 overall grade ranked 21st among qualifying tackles, per Pro Football Focus, which isn’t overly great but not terrible either. Yet his 97 overall pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked fifth among qualifiers, per PFF.
You see where Brown’s strength lies.
Starting-caliber tackles are difficult to find on the open market. And when they do hit free agency, the upper-echelon ones command a hefty salary.
Better to be proactive about this than wait it out.
Brown wraps up his rookie contract in 2018. Signing him to a three-year extension at this point would be a smart move, ensuring he won’t be tempted to test the open market after a possible breakout year.
No. 3: Land Offensive Guard Andrew Norwell in Free Agency
San Francisco can arguably splurge on one, perhaps two big-name free agents this offseason.
And one of those should be Carolina Panthers left guard Andrew Norwell.
Norwell, previously an undrafted free agent, finished his 2017 being named a first-team All-Pro. And Pro Football Focus gave him an 88.8 overall grade on the season — third best among qualifiers. Better yet, Norwell didn’t allow a single sack or quarterback hit last season, making him the only qualifying guard in the league not to do so over the entirety of last year.
Norwell won’t come cheap. Spotrac.com gives him an average market value of $11.7 million annually.
But remember, the 49ers have more than enough money to spend.
It isn’t as if the need is lacking. Right guard Brandon Fusco is unsigned for 2018, and he might be a better fit in a power-run scheme anyway. Norwell, on the other hand, worked in former Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula’s complex zone-style running offense. There are plenty of similarities.
Signing Norwell would do one of two major things. First, it ensures San Francisco’s biggest asset, Jimmy Garoppolo, is protected. Second, it alleviates major worries about third-year guard Joshua Garnett’s 2017 knee injury and possible fit in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Make the offer, John Lynch.
No. 2: Grab the Best Edge Rusher Available in the NFL Draft
The 49ers finished tied for 26th in the league with 30 sacks last year. And the defense’s leading sack specialist, EDGE Elvis Dumervil, had just 6.5. Dumervil just turned 34 years old too, meaning San Francisco needs to get much, much younger here.
Who knows whether or not converted LEO Arik Armstead, who missed most of 2017 with a hand injury, emerges as a legitimate option here. One shouldn’t bank on it, though.
The thing to consider here is a quality edge bender is arguably the most important non-quarterback position on the field. And quality pass-rushers are like quality quarterbacks — both coveted and not exactly easy to find.
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Free agency might provide some options, although there are a good deal of promising EDGE players in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Atop the list is NC State’s Bradley Chubb. And while some may cringe at the 49ers taking another defensive lineman first overall for the fourth year in a row, not all defensive lineman are created equally. Someone off the edge is needed, and Chubb provides that.
The 49ers will hold either the No. 9 or No. 10 overall pick, depending on a coin flip with the Oakland Raiders at the NFL Scouting Combine. Chubb might not fall to San Francisco. But with a flurry of teams in need of quarterbacks — combined with a relatively deep QB prospect class — it’s not out of reach to imagine a player like Chubb falling.
Either way, expect the Niners to use one of their first two picks on a quality outside pass-rusher.
No. 1: Sign Cornerback Kyle Fuller in Free Agency
The 49ers need a quality starting cornerback opposite last year’s breakout star, Ahkello Witherspoon. No. 2 corner Dontae Johnson didn’t cut it in 2017, and he’s unsigned for 2018 anyway. It would be a shock to see San Francisco bring him back.
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler might be the big name. Heck, even 49ers wide receiver Pierre Garçon made attempts on Twitter to recruit Butler:
Yo yo @Mac_BZ come to The Bay. @49ers we got CAP SPACE, a QB and the best receivers in the division are on your team. You won’t have to worry about the head coach being all up in the videos. All in the way and stuff. One goal in mind over here. #SB53 Let’s Get It #49erFaithful
— Pierre Garçon (@PierreGarcon) February 7, 2018
Brown could be fine. But there’s another player Niners fans should be more intrigued by: Chicago Bears corner Kyle Fuller.
Fuller hits free agency this offseason. A bit of a reclamation project, Fuller bounced back nicely in 2017 with two interceptions — including one off Jimmy Garoppolo — and a career-high 22 passes defended.
Better yet, opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 69.0 when targeting Fuller last season, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked 14th best among qualifying corners and way better than Butler’s 96.6 rating allowed.
Fuller is a year younger than Butler too, making him the smarter choice.
Next: 5 free agents the 49ers can target to help Jimmy Garoppolo
If San Francisco is able to pull of a couple of these moves, the team will be in vastly better shape to contend within the NFC West and, arguably, have a legit shot at making the postseason in 2018.