Why 49ers fans need to calm down about lack of big-name action in NFL free agency

The San Francisco 49ers have not been as active in NFL free agency as fans have hoped them to be. Here’s why they should set their doubts aside and continue to trust the front office.

Mystified is the word I would use to describe my reaction to what San Francisco 49ers fans have been saying at the beginning of the free agency period.

The 49ers have the best fans in the world in the Faithful, but I have seen a lot of them completely bashing general manager John Lynch and the rest of the brass for a variety of reasons — whether if it’s for not being active in free agency or overpaying for signees Weston Richburg and Jerick McKinnon.

Well, here’s my unpopular opinion. The 49ers are having a very good free agency, and there is not much reason to argue with that.

San Francisco 49ers

Let’s start with the signing of cornerback Richard Sherman. Despite his age and ongoing recovery from a torn Achilles, Sherman is still one of the best corners in the league. I said last week that the 49ers should sign him to a low-risk deal, and that is exactly what Paraag Marathe, genius-contract man for the 49ers, did.

On the surface, one could say the 49ers overpaid Sherman by handing him a three-year, $39 million deal. However, the contract, which only actually guarantees Sherman $3 million, is loaded with incentives to reach that $39 million price. If Sherman plays poorly after recovering from his torn Achilles, then the 49ers could easily cut him without giving up much money at all. This deal is a bargain for one of the elite defensive backs in the league.

Now let’s move on to Richburg.

I was initially confused by the announcement of his signing, due to last month’s re-signing of center Daniel Kilgore. However, Richburg is a much better center than Kilgore. Richburg has been constantly graded positively by Pro Football Focus since he entered the league, earning grades of 88.5 in 2015, 75.5 in 2016 and 71.3 in 2017. Those are all well above average in a New York Giants offensive scheme that did not fit the zone-blocking style — one that head coach Kyle Shanahan employs in his offense.

Here’s what ex-Giants teammate Geoff Schwartz said about the Richburg signing:

Former KNBR 680 insider Kevin Jones sums up Richburg’s contract nicely in this tweet, again displaying the genius of Marathe and his contracts:

The Richburg signing is not a bargain, but it’s not a bad one either. And for a promising offensive lineman, who perfectly fits Shanahan’s system, I’d be more than willing to pay a lot of money.

Speaking of scheme fit, running back Jerick McKinnon, the 49ers’ latest free agent, is probably the best running back in the league to run Shanahan’s offense.

McKinnon is a fast and fearless runner, who also excels as a receiver. I have noted in my other articles what former Niners tailback Carlos Hyde lacked was his ability to catch the football, thus not being a good fit in Shanahan’s system.

Hyde was the big bruising power back that got you three to five yards on first and second down.

McKinnon is the opposite. He is going to create those big chunk plays that will leave opposing defenses in the dust.

The thing about McKinnon is that he is such a versatile back that you can use on all three downs, due to his superior vision while carrying the ball and receiving ability. Oh yeah, he also runs outside zone well, which is a staple of the Shanahan offense.

I had Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings running back, on my fantasy football team last season and constantly rooted against McKinnon to do poorly, so Murray could get more carries to get me more points. However, week after week, McKinnon continued to make splash plays on the field and look like a much better back than Murray, forcing me to drop Murray and start to marvel and appreciate the plays McKinnon made.

By now, you should know that McKinnon signed a very good contract, due to the magician that negotiates all 49ers contracts, Paraag Marathe. So here’s Niner Noise’s site editor Peter Panacy marveling, like the rest of us 49ers fans should, at McKinnon’s contract details, which is in the quoted tweet:

Yeah, the 49ers didn’t sign wide receivers Allen Robinson or Sammy Watkins, or cornerback Malcolm Butler or any other big-name free agents.

It doesn’t matter.

Once quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo entered the starting lineup last season, the team went on a 5-0 run, which included wins against some very solid playoff teams, such as the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Next: 49ers interested in WR Terrelle Pryor

So, don’t worry. Lynch, Shanahan, the whole organization know what they’re doing.