Niner Noise
FanSided

Grading 49ers’ 2019 offseason through opening of NFL free agency

By Peter Panacy

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 03: Robbie Gould #9 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates kicking the game winning field goal as Marcus Cooper #31 of the Chicago Bears leaves the field 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: Robbie Gould #9 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates kicking the game winning field goal as Marcus Cooper #31 of the Chicago Bears leaves the field at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defetaed the Bears 15-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

. . 49ERS' ON-ROSTER MOVES. B.

The 49ers arguably had only one priority free-agent re-signing to make: retaining veteran kicker Robbie Gould, which was done by applying the team’s franchise tag on him.

Gould has been better than solid for San Francisco the past two seasons, which included a league-leading 97.1 field-goal conversion rate in 2018. He appears to have mastered the reportedly difficult kicking conditions at Levi’s Stadium, which influenced the Niners enough to risk giving the 36-year-old veteran nearly $5 million in guaranteed money on the franchise tag.

The Niners and Gould have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension. If not, he’ll play on that tag for the upcoming year.

It’s a lot of money for a kicker, though, which prevents this deal from being a bona fide A-grade. Further knocking the grade down a bit is the four-year extension given to long-snapper Kyle Nelson, especially with him yet to serve six games on a 10-game PED suspension handed down last year.

This helps, though:

San Francisco is also bringing back versatile defensive back Jimmie Ward who, despite landing on injured reserve in four of his five NFL seasons, has the flexibility to play at safety and both nickel and boundary corner spots. It’s a one-year deal and won’t hurt the team’s long-term plans.

The 49ers were smart, however, to let punter Bradley Pinion go to the Buccaneers in NFL free agency, while also declining the 2019 options on wide receiver Pierre Garçon and nose tackle Earl Mitchell.

In the case of the latter two, San Francisco has both younger and cheaper options who can fill the same roles with nearly identical production, projection-wise at least.

With Pinion’s departure, the team closes yet another door on former general manager Trent Baalke’s era. That’s been a trend for the past two-plus years.