The 49ers face some tough challenges in NFL free agency in 2022, but those decisions should be made easier by not re-signing these five players.
The San Francisco 49ers, along with the rest of the league, can take some comfort in 2022 knowing the salary cap is going to jump from $182.5 million this year up to an estimated $208.2 million, according to Over the Cap.
Currently, OTC projects the Niners to have $12.77 slated for use in cap room next year, a number that’ll certainly increase a lot if the team fully elects to part ways with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo en route to opening up the door for the No. 3 overall pick from this year’s NFL Draft, Trey Lance, to start under center next season.
That’ll free up over $25 million in 2022, yet there are still plenty of financial challenges general manager John Lynch and Co. will have to face.
Those challenges can be alleviated somewhat, however, if San Francisco decides it wants to have nothing to do with these five pending free agents, who should kindly be shown the door during the offseason to sign elsewhere.
No. 5: 49ers Cornerback Jason Verrett
Few pro athletes have gone through as many injury setbacks as veteran cornerback Jason Verrett, who after playing just six regular-season games between 2016 and 2019, finally enjoyed a relatively clean slate of health in 2020 and set himself up for yet another productive season in 2021.
Only to tear his ACL in Week 1, effectively ending his year and probably his 49ers tenure.
Perhaps the Niners can be faulted for banking on Verrett’s health this season, and it certainly is unfortunate for him to have had such a devastating injury history. That said, the Niners have to shift their philosophy away from injury-prone players and look to reinforce their roster with players who can stay on the field.
As good as Verrett can be when he’s on the field, the liability of him missing extensive time with injuries is simply too great for San Francisco to explore once again after getting burned by it in two of the last three seasons.
No. 4: 49ers EDGE Jordan Willis
True, he probably wouldn’t cost the 49ers too much, and it’s usually a good idea to add as many pass-rushers as possible during any offseason.
Yet the Niners don’t exactly have a need for reserve EDGE Jordan Willis, who after impressing after being acquired from the New York Jets in the middle of 2020 en route to a career-high 2.5 sacks, subsequently found himself suspended for the first six games of 2021 because of a PED violation.
Since then, Willis has scantly seen the field, instead seeing those complementary pass-rushing duties go over to fellow EDGE Arden Key, one of San Francisco’s other offseason pickups entering 2021, and Key managed to set a career-high for himself by notching five sacks through 15 weeks of play.
Key has essentially taken over the kind of role Willis would have had, supporting Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa and turning into one of those rotational players the 49ers depth needs.
Both Key and Willis are pending free agents, yet there’s only one the Niners should focus on bringing back.
It’s not Willis.
No. 3: 49ers Tight End Ross Dwelley
Another player who could likely be re-signed in NFL free agency on the cheap, tight end Ross Dwelley has nevertheless seen his role decrease as the primary reserve option to All-Pro tight end George Kittle this season.
Kittle’s injury history had previously opened up the door for Dwelley to assume bigger roles the last two seasons, namely in 2020 when the former undrafted free agent ended up starting nine games and hauling in 19 receptions for 245 yards and a touchdown in Kittle’s absence.
Yet Kittle, who also missed three weeks in 2021 because of a calf injury, didn’t prompt head coach Kyle Shanahan to rely heavily on Dwelley this year, and it’s been second-year pro Charlie Woerner who has seen the uptick in usage as the No. 2 tight end on the roster.
Woerner might not be a polished pass-catcher, but he surely offers up much more in the blocking department over Dwelley, making the latter something of an excess commodity heading into the offseason.
While the Niners may still be seeking another pass-catching tight end to pair with Kittle in 2022, signs are already pointing to them moving on from Dwelley.
No. 2: 49ers Cornerback Josh Norman
Look, it makes sense why San Francisco elected to sign veteran cornerback Josh Norman during the very beginning of the 2021 regular season. The position was already questionable enough despite the 49ers using two draft picks on rookie corners, Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir, and subsequent injuries to Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley made it a necessity anyway.
But Norman, despite his league-leading six forced fumbles through 15 weeks, is nevertheless a liability when he’s beat in coverage, often resorting to grabbiness, holding and defensive pass interference.
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Having just turned 34 years old, it’s not like those elements of Norman’s game will improve next season.
The Niners have to heavily invest in younger, more athletic cornerbacks during the offseason, which should ultimately make Norman a one-year stopgap option and nothing more.
Norman filled a need at the time, but that need shouldn’t be something San Francisco relies upon again in 2022.
No. 1: 49ers Running Back Raheem Mostert
Although not quite as drastic as Jason Verrett’s injury history, running back Raheem Mostert has unfortunately dealt with a swarm of injury setbacks that have heavily impacted an otherwise notable career.
Including suffering a knee injury way back in Week 1 that knocked him out for the rest of the season.
The 49ers have had a knack for identifying under-the-radar running backs under Kyle Shanahan, and Mostert’s injury opened up the door for rookie runner Elijah Mitchell to have a prominent role moving forward.
It’s Mitchell, not Mostert who should be the primary focus of the Niners’ ground attack in upcoming years.
While unfortunate for Mostert, the hard reality is he’s a frequently injured running back who’ll turn 30 years old by the time the 2022 regular season rolls around. That’s hardly the kind of position player the Niners would be wise to invest money in, and a cheaper option with just as much potency already exists on the roster with Mitchell.
It shouldn’t be too difficult a call here.