Coming off a tough loss in Super Bowl 54, the San Francisco 49ers now face the arduous task of contending again in 2020. Free agency and the NFL Draft are among challenges facing the red and gold this new year.
It’s going to be difficult for the San Francisco 49ers to make it back to the Super Bowl after their heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game on Feb. 2.
As pointed out by CBS Sports, ranking the last 10 Super Bowl losers, only the 2018 New England Patriots managed to win the following year’s league championship game after being stunned by the Philadelphia Eagles the year before.
And like every team each and every offseason, the Niners are going to face some challenges. Unlike previous seasons, where San Francisco was likely enjoying a plethora of open cap space and a top pick in the NFL Draft, the 2020 49ers face an entirely different array of question marks — the kinds which the team hasn’t faced since much earlier last decade.
A number of the Niners’ key contributors are hitting NFL free agency. Determining who to re-sign presents a challenge for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers hold only one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft between Rounds 1 and 4, and it comes late in the first round.
San Francisco isn’t going to proverbially “sneak up” on anyone this year, as the rest of the league now knows the 49ers have reached the pinnacle of contending for a Super Bowl.
Simply put, the 2020 offseason offers an entirely new slate of challenges Lynch, Shanahan and the rest of the franchise will face. In addition to those on-roster players, who’ll have to figure out a positive way to use the Super Bowl loss as motivation, here are other significant challenges the Niners will have to deal with between now and the start of next season.
49ers Players Hitting NFL Free Agency
While a Super Bowl win often drives up many a pending free agent’s asking price, being the runner up also means the same category of players can expect a good deal on the open market.
After all, many of those players likely had to perform exceptionally well to just reach the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have some key free agents hitting the open market, including the following:
- WR Emmanuel Sanders
- DB Jimmie Ward
- CB Jason Verrett
- TE Garrett Celek
- DL Arik Armstead
- OT Shon Coleman
- DT Sheldon Day
- DE Ronald Blair
Running back Matt Breida and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who both played big roles for the offense in 2019, are restricted free agents. San Francisco re-signing both is a strong probability. Meanwhile, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill and backup quarterback Nick Mullense are exclusive-rights free agents, meaning they essentially can negotiate only with San Francisco. Again, all of them are likely back.
But what about the unrestricted free agents listed above?
Armstead suggested he’d be open to the franchise tag, which is a possibility. But the number could reach nearly $17 million on the one-year deal. Would the 49ers want to pay him that much? Sanders, who’ll turn 33 years old next month, likely isn’t a long-term option. His age could also mean a relatively cheaper contract, too, but that’s yet to be determined.
Safety Jimmie Ward, who enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2019, might also give the Niners a hometown discount. But, given his lengthy injury history, it’s possible he’ll want to cash in on what could be the biggest contract he’ll ever receive at the pro level.
And the 49ers aren’t exactly flush with cap space, either.
49ers Have Cap Concerns for the First Time in a While
During the Niners’ down years between 2015 and 2017, cap space was almost never an issue. This is typically common for bad teams, as those franchises rarely elect to sign underperforming players to lucrative long-term deals.
That won’t be the case in 2020, however.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is going to command a good chunk of the expected $200 million salary cap. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is due for an extension, and so is tight end George Kittle.
Right now, however, Over the Cap projects the 49ers to have just shy of $14 million in cap space this offseason, not including roughly $15.5 million in 2019 rollover (it’s likely San Francisco will roll this amount over into 2020).
Renegotiating current contracts could increase the amount available in 2020, and the team’s contracts specialist, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Paraag Marathe, is a genius at navigating cap space and contracts. Cap casualties are also likely to be a thing for the Niners this offseason. Case in point, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin — a near non-factor for the team in 2019 — could generate $3.66 million, if cut, against $1.25 million in dead money.
But the relatively limited amount of resources ultimately means San Francisco will be much more shrewd with re-signing many of its pending free agents.
And one shouldn’t expect the team to go all out on some of the top names hitting the open market, either.
Limited Resources in the 2020 NFL Draft
When teams are pressed, financially, they’ll often turn to the NFL Draft as a means to onboard more talent, which is both younger and much cheaper. Top-tier players, playing on rookie contracts, often provide the backbone for a well-balanced, championship-level squad.
Look no further than George Kittle, DeForest Buckner and EDGE Nick Bosa as perfect examples.
But the 49ers invested plenty of their draft capital en route to the Super Bowl, namely by trading away a third- and fourth-round pick in 2020 for Emmanuel Sanders, getting the Denver Broncos’ fifth-round selection in return, while also dishing out a second-round pick to the Chiefs for EDGE Dee Ford.
As a result, the Niners have just one pick on the first two days of the 2020 draft, No. 31 overall. The current selection is as follows:
- Round 1, No. 31 overall
- Round 5, No. 139 overall (from DEN)
- Round 5, No. 159 overall
- Round 6, No. 191 overall
- Round 7, No. 195 overall (from DET)
- Round 7, No. 223 overall
Smart speculation would suggest John Lynch attempts to trade out of the team’s first rounder, perhaps netting a couple of second- or third-round picks in return and a better shot at stockpiling resources, which will be much needed in coming years.
Remember, though, it takes two teams to effectively make a trade.
And if the market for a trade down isn’t overly promising, one can’t just guarantee Lynch makes the move.
Continuity Across the 49ers Roster
Let’s face it: The 2020 49ers won’t be like what fans witnessed in 2019. There are going to be changes, perhaps big ones.
On the positive side, there is already a solid core group, around which John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan will look to build and improve.
San Francisco 49ers
That said, some key questions are present without having to look too deep.
Veteran left tackle Joe Staley, who unfortunately missed out on his second attempt to secure a Super Bowl ring, told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch early in January he wasn’t planning on retiring. But that time is coming sooner than later. And it’s anyone’s guess whether or not a Super Bowl loss changes Staley’s thoughts earlier than anticipated.
How about running back? Will Shanahan look to maintain the rotational depth he enjoyed over the course of 2019, understanding the team had serious lacks at wide receiver for the first half of the year? If Emmanuel Sanders returns, that likely solves one question. But it also leaves open the Niners’ hopeful development for 2019 rookie wideout Jalen Hurd, along with three-year pro Trent Taylor, both of whom missed the year with injuries.
San Francisco’s defensive line was one of the deepest units in the league last season. Arik Armstead, Ronald Blair and Sheldon Day are all pending free agents, though.
Who stays? Who goes? Hard questions, sure.
In coming weeks, as the 49ers start looking at potential options, the overall plan both Lynch and Shanahan want to pursue will become clearer.
For now, though, the Niners face arguably the toughest offseason they’ve had to endure in a long, long time.