49ers free agency: 5 takeaways after opening moves in 2021

The 49ers kept many core pieces in NFL free agency while adding a few more, providing us with some notable takeaways and notes.

It’s likely the San Francisco 49ers are finished making their big-name moves in NFL free agency this offseason.

While there’s still room for a handful of mid- to low-end roster moves by general manager John Lynch, the splash signings and re-signings are probably over, given the Niners have exhausted the majority of their remaining salary cap space and still need to reserve some for inking the 2021 NFL Draft class later this offseason.

But the major deals are certainly enough to highlight and include:

• Re-signing left tackle Trent Williams for six years
• Re-signing fullback Kyle Juszczyk for five years
• Re-signing cornerbacks Jason Verrett, Dontae Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley
• Signing EDGE Samson Ebukam
• Signing center Alex Mack

These moves can tell us a lot about San Francisco’s roster, both where its at now and what the deals mean going forward.

With that as a backdrop, here are some key takeaways from the 49ers’ major moves in NFL free agency.

No. 5: 49ers are all but set along their offensive line

Williams was the major linchpin to decide how the Niners would approach their offseason.

If Williams left instead of signing his record-breaking deal to stay in San Francisco, the 49ers would have likely had to use one of their first two draft picks on a starting-caliber tackle to replace him.

While expensive, retaining the status quo on the far left by keeping Williams eliminates that concern.

But Mack solves the other issue, center, which was such a revolving door last year in the wake of Weston Richburg’s yearlong absence because of injury. Had Mack signed elsewhere, the Niners would have likely had to scramble for another veteran center on the market or hope last year’s late fill-in, right guard Daniel Brunskill, could improve upon his so-so efforts at center in 2021.

With Mack in tow, all five spots are set. Arguably the only weakness is Brunskill at right guard, yet that was the position he was assumed to take in 2020 before all those injuries happened up front.

From left to right: Williams, Laken Tomlinson, Mack, Brunskill and Mike McGlinchey.