How 49ers can re-sign Arik Armstead to a long-term deal

The San Francisco 49ers are likely going to be challenged to re-sign defensive tackle Arik Armstead in 2020, but there are ways to make it happen. Here’s how.

The San Francisco 49ers finally got the kind of production they were hoping for out of their 2015 first-round NFL Draft pick, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, over the course of 2019.

Amid a deep and potent defensive line, Armstead enjoyed a career year and finished the regular season with 10 sacks, leading the team and promoting the defense to become one of the best in the NFL en route to Super Bowl LIV.

Now, Armstead is poised to hit NFL free agency this offseason. He certainly set himself up for a big payday with a career year.

And the question now is just how the Niners bring him back.

While the franchise tag is an option, the cost would roughly be around the $17 million range for a one-year, fully guaranteed deal in 2020. Speaking to the media last Thursday, general manager John Lynch hinted the 49ers would like something more long term:

"Arik is an excellent player. He had an excellent year. I think everything is on the table. We want to find a way to keep him and make him a part of the 49ers for a long time."

OK, so how?

According to Over the Cap, the 49ers have $13,198,285 in projected cap space, plus about $15.5 million in potential rollover from 2019. This will bring the total amount to just shy of $30 million available with perhaps $8 million set aside for the team’s 2020 NFL Draft class.

Over the Cap suggests Armstead’s contract value will be just north of $15 million per year, which isn’t out of the question.

That’s a number which will be difficult to absorb.

It’s possible the team works out an extension for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, which would spread his earnings out longer than his pending free-agent expiration in 2023, thereby freeing up money now.

But the more plausible option would be to make some roster cuts among some of the more expensive and relatively expendable players currently on the roster.

The team could start with running back Tevin Coleman, who is due $4.9 million in 2020 but with zero in guaranteed or dead money. Right there, the Niners would have nearly $5 million saved towards Armstead. And fellow running backs Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert could be poised to shoulder the load, especially if fellow runner Jerick McKinnon — owed $4.55 million with $4 million in dead money in 2020 — is also let go.

There’s $9.45 million freed up.

Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who was mostly a non-factor in 2019 due to injuries, is due $3,656,250 in 2019 with $1.25 million in dead money. That puts the total amount saved to $13.1 million.

Linebacker Mark Nzeocha, a special teams ace, is well-liked by San Francisco. But he’s also due $1.5 million with zero in dead money in 2020, and the 49ers can try shoring up special teams with some of their draft stock and low-profile free-agent signings. Cutting Nzeocha now brings the total amount saved to $14.6 million.

That last gap is tough, but the 49ers are spending some top money on their long-snapper, Kyle Nelson. The Niners had long-snapping issues earlier in the year when Nelson was finishing off his suspension for a PED violation in 2018. But at $975,000 with zero dead money, one figures San Francisco could get cheaper here, too.

With that move in place, the 49ers have now saved nearly $15.6 million without having to tweak or part ways with any of their impact players.

And if Armstead is able to take even less on a hometown discount, especially for a longer deal, it would be that much better.