The 49ers lost more starters than they gained in NFL free agency, but they did make some notable pickups. Let’s evaluate the biggest moves.
For the most part, the San Francisco 49ers are likely done with any splash moves in NFL free agency.
But, wow, the opening wave of free agency sure was impactful for general manager John Lynch and Co.
Not just because of which free agents the Niners onboarded, per se. Beyond that, San Francisco also watched a significant chunk of its starters depart to other teams, too, including safety Jimmie Ward, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.
There’s one quarterback who left the red and gold for the silver and black, too.
NFL free agency will continue rolling on, but with the first wave now in the books, let’s look at the 49ers’ best free-agent move, the worst one and the one that has us the most intrigued.
Best NFL free agency move from 49ers: Signing Javon Hargrave
It was tempting to list the Niners letting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo walk in free agency where he subsequently joined Vegas, as San Francisco finally needed to close that door.
But Garoppolo wasn’t going to be a vital part of the 49ers beyond 2022, at least not with fellow quarterbacks Trey Lance and Brock Purdy vying for the QB1 role.
Alas, the Niners’ best free-agent move was also their biggest signing: adding former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, whose interior pass-rushing prowess netted 11 sacks a year ago.
Behind All-Pro EDGE Nick Bosa, no other San Francisco defender had more than five.
San Francisco got back to its roots with another attempt at reinforcing the defensive line, and Hargrave definitely makes that the strength once more with names like Bosa and Arik Armstead also in tow.
Worst NFL free agency move from 49ers: Letting Emmanuel Moseley walk
The 49ers’ defensive backfield was a strength to start out 2022, especially after the team inked former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward a year ago.
However, when the Niners lost Emmanuel Moseley to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 5, the cornerback room looked noticeably thinner. Granted, reserve corner Deommodore Lenoir rose to the occasion and put himself in a spot where he might start on the boundary in 2023.
That said, re-signing Moseley might have been a stronger play.
Moseley ultimately joined the Detroit Lions on a one-year, $6 million deal. And, as Sports Illustrated’s Jose Luis Sanchez argued, that’s cash that San Francisco could and should have offered:
"John Lynch indicated in his exit press conference back in early February, but the 49ers only wanted him back at their price. Clearly, $6 million is too much for them to invest for a guy coming off a torn ACL. That is a number that the 49ers easily could have matched and arguably would have been worth it. Moseley is a tremendous cornerback who was playing lights out in the first five games of the 2022 season before getting injured."
Read More: Emmanuel Moseley leaves Niners for Lions in free agency
$6 million for a starting boundary corner is cheap, and Moseley has been a tremendous defender.
Perhaps the 49ers weren’t comfortable in investing that kind of money in a player coming off a torn ACL, and that’s fine.
But Lenoir isn’t exactly an inspiring replacement at the moment, and this move could come back to haunt the Niners later.
Most intriguing NFL free agency move from 49ers: Signing Sam Darnold
San Francisco brought in only four new-face free agents this offseason, at least as of March 18.
There’ll be more, but in the meantime, the new faces are as follows:
- DT Javon Hargrave
- EDGE Clelin Ferrell
- DB Isaiah Oliver
- QB Sam Darnold
Interesting with the Darnold pickup. And we know the 49ers have been interested in Darnold before, so the opportunity to snag the No. 3 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft is provocative enough.
It’s more provocative when trying to figure out what Darnold’s role and spot on the roster will be.
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Trey Lance and Brock Purdy are already under contract and vying for the QB1 role this year, but both are also coming off serious injuries. Darnold, meanwhile, has a contract worth up to $4.5 million with $3.5 million of it guaranteed.
That’s not QB3 money.
Is Darnold insurance against Purdy’s recovery from offseason surgery and against Lance not being ready or capable to kick off 2023?
This is probably the case, but there’ll be no shortage of speculation with regard to Darnold’s newfound tenure with the Niners.