5 free agents who would turn 49ers into Super Bowl favorites
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers already have excellent Super Bowl odds heading into 2023, but adding these five players in NFL free agency would push them to the top.
It’s pretty remarkable to think the San Francisco 49ers have been in the final four of the NFL in three of the last four years.
Yet, the Niners haven’t quite won it all in the Super Bowl, and that’ll be the ultimate goal for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.
Especially with both quarterbacks in the competition to start, Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, still on their rookie contracts and counting for just over $10 million in salary-cap space heading into 2023.
That means San Francisco can still splurge a bit when NFL free agency hits, at least in theory. According to Over the Cap, the 49ers have only $8.8 million in available cap space. Unless Shanahan and general manager John Lynch engineer some notable roster jockeying, the Niners aren’t going to be heavily active on the market.
Again, in theory. Roster jockeying is very much doable.
Right now, according to the latest betting odds, San Francisco has the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl in 2024. But, if Shanahan and Lynch somehow find out how to make it work with these five free agents, the 49ers would immediately be Super Bowl favorites.
Note: All contractual information, courtesy of Over the Cap.
49ers NFL free agency target No. 5: OT Kaleb McGary, Falcons
The Niners seem poised to lose their starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey, to free agency this offseason. And while McGlinchey’s pass protection wasn’t particularly great, he was nevertheless one of the league’s better run blockers, and his ability to return to form after suffering a torn quad in 2021 is certainly commendable.
However, the NFL is a pass-first league, and if San Francisco wants to dump more money into the offensive line (it should), going after a better pass blocker in Atlanta Falcons tackle Kaleb McGary, who just so happens to be equally adept in run support, would be the way to go.
McGary might command good money on the open market, especially considering the 2023 NFL Draft is weak on offensive linemen, and that could push teams in need of O-line help toward spending big cash.
If the 49ers are willing to spend up to $13 million annually on a new right tackle, McGary would be the way to go.