5 bold predictions for the 49ers in 2020 NFL free agency

The San Francisco 49ers don’t have a lot of money to attack 2020 NFL free agency. But with some careful workings, general manager John Lynch could still make some notable moves.

Unlike previous seasons, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t sitting atop the NFL world in terms of cap space, which had been the case during the team’s down years between 2015 and 2018.

Entering the 2020 offseason, the Niners are currently projected to have just $13,108,031 available in cap space, which sits at fifth least, according to Over the Cap. Typically, teams reserve around $10 million to sign their rookie NFL Draft classes. But with only six picks in the upcoming 2020 draft, and only one in the first four rounds as of now, San Francisco might be looking at roughly $5 million to attack NFL free agency this offseason.

There are a lot of caveats and X-factors in the mix here, though.

For starters, general manager John Lynch and his staff will likely shake up the Niners roster, perhaps cutting or trading commodities who are either too expensive or no longer fit into the team’s long-term plans. Existing contracts may also be restructured, freeing up more cap space now at the expense of adding dollars onto any given player’s deal down the road.

One of the key dates to keep in mind is March 18, 2020 when the league new year begins. This will mark the true beginning of NFL free agency, when contracts singed through 2019 officially expire. It’s also the time when all 32 teams have to be under the predicted $200 million salary cap with their top 51 player contracts.

So, even with the current lack of cap space, one can still expect and predict Lynch and Co. to take some notable action in NFL free agency this offseason.

Here are five notable predictions.