49ers 2023 NFL free agency tracker: Who’s coming, who’s going?

Niner Noise keeps tabs on the latest 49ers news at the beginning of NFL free agency in 2023, tracking the latest signings and player departures.

The 2023 San Francisco 49ers already made attempts to get ahead of NFL free agency this offseason, yet general manager John Lynch and Co. are still poised to lose some notable players on the open market.

Monday, March 13 kicked off the two-day negotiation window where teams can begin negotiations with players whose contracts officially expire at the start of the league new year on March 15.

The “legal tampering” period is seeing plenty of action, and it won’t be shocking to see the Niners say goodbye to a number of well-known players who have started for Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan for quite some time.

Heading toward NFL free agency, San Francisco had 21 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents.

One of those RFAs, offensive lineman Colton McKivitz, inked a two-year re-sign deal to stick around, and the 49ers didn’t have to use a tender to retain him.

There are plenty of other Niners who’ll become “former” San Francisco players, though, while others are poised to join the squad with the negotiation window opening on March 13.

And, as the days of NFL free agency grow longer, more and more players will be drawn to the red and gold as the opening waves move past.

Let’s keep track of each free-agent move for the 49ers this offseason, both inbound and outbound, as well as the re-sign deals that take place.

Team free agents 49ers re-signed

• OL Colton McKivitz (two-year deal)
• DB Tashaun Gipson (one-year deal)
• LS Taybor Pepper (three-year deal)
• WR Jauan Jennings (ERFA tender)
• DT Kevin Givens (one-year deal)
• C Jake Brendel (four-year deal)
• LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (one-year deal)
• DT T.Y. McGill (one-year deal)
• TE Ross Dwelley (one-year deal)
• DE Kerry Hyder

Gipson also returns on a one-year contract worth up to $2.9 million, but that likely pointed to fellow safety Jimmie Ward not returning, given the two play the same position.

Read More: 49ers NFL free agency primer: Targets, timeline and everything you need to know

Pepper, McKivitz and Jennings were all retained prior to free agency beginning, while Givens is back on a deal worth up to $2.1 million, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows:

Brendel, meanwhile, had reported interest from the New York Jets but opted to stay with the team that gave him his first starting job a season ago, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

Free agents 49ers sign in 2023

• DT Javon Hargrave (four years, $80 million)
• QB Sam Darnold (one year, $4.5 million)
• DE Clelin Ferrell (one year, $2.46 million)
• CB Isaiah Oliver (two years, $6.65 million)
• DB Myles Hartsfield (one year)
• OL Jon Feliciano (one year)
• DE Austin Bryant (one year)
• OT Matt Pryor
• WR Chris Conley (one year)

Hargrave had 11 sacks for Philly last season, and he’ll immediately upgrade the interior of San Francisco’s defensive line and then some, especially considering he was the No. 1-ranked free-agent interior lineman.

Meanwhile, the 49ers get their bridge backup quarterback in Darnold.

Players 49ers lose to other teams in NFL free agency

• OT Mike McGlinchey (Broncos)
• QB Jimmy Garoppolo (Raiders)
• DT Hassan Ridgeway (Texans)
• DB Jimmie Ward (Texans)
• CB Emmanuel Moseley (Lions)
• LB Azeez Al-Shaair (Titans)
• EDGE Samson Ebukam (Colts)
• OL Daniel Brunskill (Titans)
• DE Charles Omenihu (Chiefs)
• DT Maurice Hurst (Browns)
• DB Tarvarius Moore (Packers)
• DE Jordan Willis (Raiders)

The Denver Broncos swooped in on McGlinchey after early reports suggested the Chicago Bears were close, and Schefter later added that Ridgeway would reunite with now-Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans after the latter left his previous spot as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator.

Ryans is purging Ward, too, who was previously the longest-tenured 49ers player on the roster, while the Detroit Lions pluck away another piece of the Niners’ defensive backfield, Emmanuel Moseley, who is coming off a torn ACL suffered last year.

Brunskill, San Francisco’s versatile and reliable offensive lineman, is also off the roster and will join Tennessee.

Meanwhile, the Garoppolo era in the Bay Area truly has come to a close with him reuniting with Josh McDaniels, the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.