49ers free agency: 3 dream targets for San Francisco in 2022
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers could have a good deal of money to spend in NFL free agency in 2022, and these three pending free agents would be massive lands.
Right now, according to Over the Cap, the San Francisco 49ers are projected to have $23.7 million in cap space in 2022, which is about in the middle of the pack for the rest of the NFL.
A lot will change between now and then, including how much the Niners roll over from this year and whatever transactions take place between now and the start of the league new year a little less than a year from now.
But there are a couple of key factors that could ultimately turn an already Super Bowl-hopeful roster into an NFC superpower for the next few years.
For starters, San Francisco is going to be poised to lose a number of aging free agents, thanks to the slew of cheap one-year deals dished out to a number of starters like cornerback Jason Verrett and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. That’ll be challenging, but the 49ers are likely to be in far better financial shape if they’re able to move quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo between now and 2022, though, effectively handing the staring reins over to the 2021 rookie, Trey Lance.
If so, the Niners clear up $25.6 million owed to Jimmy G in 2022 while playing Lance on his relatively cheap rookie deal.
Nearly every NFL general manager understands the time to get greedy is when an up-and-coming quarterback is still playing on that rookie contract.
A number of players on the pending 2022 NFL free agency market could be “dream-like” additions to the team, helping burst open San Francisco’s Super Bowl window.
Including these three.