The 49ers face some tough decisions in NFL free agency once the 2022 new calendar turns, yet these five pending free agents deserve new deals.
Things may not be so challenging for the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 with regards to NFL free agency as they were earlier this year. After all, the 2022 salary cap is expected to increase from $182.5 million to $208.2 million, according to Over the Cap, and the Niners already have a projected $12.78 million in cap space.
On top of that, it’s highly expected San Francisco will move quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this upcoming offseason, too, which will open up $25.6 million more that general manager John Lynch can use to either onboard new talent or re-sign talent currently set to hit the open market at the start of the league’s new year this upcoming spring.
Currently, the 49ers have 35 pending free agents. Some, such as exclusive-rights free agents like defensive tackle Kevin Givens and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, are almost assuredly going to be back because they can’t negotiate with other teams.
But there are going to be tough challenges with both restricted and unrestricted free agents.
Here are five of those kinds of free agents who have earned new contracts with the Niners after their efforts this season.
No. 5: 49ers Nose Tackle D.J. Jones
It’s a good guess whether or not San Francisco will re-sign nose tackle D.J. Jones, particularly with the up-and-coming prowess of Givens on the roster. And signing nose tackles to lucrative deals typically isn’t a smart plan, financially, given it’s pretty easy to find good run-stopping 1-technique players in free agency on the cheap or via the NFL Draft.
An educated bet would suggest the 49ers pass on re-signing Jones, their sixth-round pick from the 2017 draft, simply because Givens is in the mix and likely the primary go-to option if Jones leaves in NFL free agency.
Still, that doesn’t mean Jones hasn’t earned a new deal.
Jones, whose 73.2 run-stopping Pro Football Focus grade is quality, is more than just a run-stuffer, though. While he’s only recorded one sack this season, he already has seven tackles for a loss and has appeared on 51.8 percent of defensive snaps, notable for a nose tackle who usually plays only on base downs, which has a league average of about 33 percent in today’s pass-happy NFL.
The Niners may still pass on Jones, but he’s certainly earned a new deal. If they can afford him, they shouldn’t hesitate.
No. 4: 49ers EDGE Arden Key
EDGE Arden Key is turning into the kind of player San Francisco thought fellow EDGE Jordan Willis would be this season, the latter impressing a year ago in limited action but missing the first six games of 2021 because of a PED violation.
Key, who ranks second on the 49ers defense behind EDGE Nick Bosa with 3.5 sacks, isn’t one of those players who’s going to threaten double-digit sack totals any given year, and the Niners may want to explore contingency plans to replace No. 2 pass-rusher Dee Ford, who is again out with injury, this offseason anyway.
But, at least for some pass-rushing depth, Key has proven to be a valuable commodity.
At 25 years old, the former Las Vegas Raiders flameout is resurrecting his career and has already set a career-high in sacks this season, also en route to surpassing his career-best 11 quarterback hits, as he has seven to date.
A player like Key could likely be had on the cheap, too, and the newfound success he’s had within San Francisco’s defensive system would afford him the desire to hang around and potentially take less money than he might receive elsewhere.
No. 3: 49ers Cornerback K’Waun Williams
Normally, it’s not typically a good business practice to make a defensive back, particularly a corner, a high re-sign priority if he’s on the wrong side of 30 years old.
But there are always exceptions, and nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams is certainly one of them.
Williams, who does come with some injury history, is still a vital member of the 49ers secondary and has already notched 33 tackles, three of which were for a loss, along with an interception, three passes broken up and a forced fumble. Opposing quarterbacks are also posting only an 87.2 passer rating when targeting him.
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The Niners don’t exactly have many contingency options to replace Williams either. Rookie cornerbacks Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir have both struggled in year one, and the lack of depth at this particular position is reason enough not to assume either can fill the void without having concern about the group as a whole.
If there’s good news, though, nickel cornerbacks rarely command the kind of top-dollar deals as boundary corners, meaning a player like Williams will likely come cheaper than other NFL free agency options, should San Francisco want to explore that route to beef up its outside-cornerback pool this offseason.
No. 2: 49ers Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair
Up to now, each one of the pending 49ers free agents have been of the unrestricted variety.
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who has assumed the full-time role of a starter with fellow backer Dre Greenlaw being out for almost all of the year, is a restricted free agent and gives the Niners a bit more flexibility.
It’s possible San Francisco explores a second-round RFA tender on Al-Shaair this offseason, which Over the Cap projects to be at $3.927 million.
That’d be a lot for a No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart, but that’s only assuming the 49ers peg Al-Shaair as a strong-side (SAM) linebacker behind Greenlaw and Fred Warner.
There’s a strong argument Al-Shaair, who ranks second on the team in tackles with 86, should remain in a starter’s role upon Greenlaw’s return, pushing the latter to third-tier duties and only on base formations or in a rotational role.
It makes sense.
Additionally, it might also make sense for the Niners to scrap the idea of a 2022 RFA tender and offer up a three-year extension for Al-Shaair to keep him around well beyond this season.
No. 1: 49ers Left Guard Laken Tomlinson
If there’s truly a top pending free-agent target San Francisco must go all out to re-sign, it’s left guard Laken Tomlinson.
Yes, Tomlinson doesn’t receive anywhere near the credit or recognition as the lineman to his immediate left, left tackle Trent Williams. But Tomlinson has still been the mainstay of the 49ers offensive line, the longest-tenured starter on the roster within this group and a player who hasn’t missed a start since being infused into the starting lineup early in 2017 after being acquired from the Detroit Lions.
Tomlinson, who owns a 71.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade so far this season, epitomizes the term “reliable,” and he hasn’t been a liability in either run support or pass protection this season either.
According to Over the Cap, Tomlinson’s 2021 play has netted a valuation of $11.16 million.
The Niners don’t exactly have contingency plans in place to replace him either. Rookie guard Aaron Banks, selected in Round 2 of this year’s NFL Draft, has yet to take an offensive snap and has found himself inactive more times than not. Right guard Daniel Brunskill remains the weakest link along the O-line, too, and San Francisco has few options to upgrade his spot.
Should Tomlinson walk, the problem is only compounded, meaning it’ll be more than just wise to keep him around for a while.