It's likely the San Francisco 49ers (and 31 other teams, for that matter) are putting a brief hold on signing any big-name free agents until after the NFL Draft concludes toward the end of April.
That said, there are still plenty of notable free agents still out there on the market, and the Niners aren't exactly pressed up against the salary cap despite being pretty active during the opening waves last month.
San Francisco didn't solve all its roster issues yet, and there are still notable needs, particularly for outside pass-rushers and even a safety.
Perhaps the longer general manager John Lynch waits, the more team-friendly deals the 49ers can explore.
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell put together his own list of best-remaining free agents, and it's notable to see how he listed the Niners as the best-fit destination more than any other club for top still-available players.
Here's for whom Podell tabbed as San Francisco being a "best fit."
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- WR Deebo Samuel
- DE Joey Bosa
Clowney, who has bounced around the league a lot over the years, enjoyed a highly productive 2025 campaign with the Dallas Cowboys, finishing the year with 8.5 sacks.
Dallas' defensive coordinator from a year ago, Matt Eberflus, is now an assistant on the 49ers staff, plus the trade pickup of former Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa might convince Clowney to head out west to support a pass rush that recorded a league-low 20 sacks last season.
Of the fit, Podell wrote:
Yes, San Francisco gets both 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Nick Bosa (torn ACL) and 2025 11th overall pick edge rusher Mykel Williams (torn ACL and torn meniscus) back in 2026/ Adding a healthy, proven pass rush threat along the edge in Clowney would relieve some of the urgency on those two to rush back from their injuries. Plus, Clowney already has plenty of pass-rush chemistry with new 49ers defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa after suiting up together in Dallas last season.
Meanwhile, the thought of adding the older Bosa brother, Joey, and pairing him with Nick Bosa has been floated around aplenty the last two offseasons, and even the Bosa matron, Cheryl Bosa, campaigned for it on social media.
That said, Lynch publicly stated the Niners likely wouldn't be able to afford Joey Bosa, but that could change the longer the veteran remains unsigned.
As for Samuel? Well, the 2021 version is long in the past, and the additions of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency pretty much muddied the depth chart to keep Deebo from being a true impact player.
Plus, after his 2025 trade request, it might be a case where both sides have fully moved on and no longer share a mutual interest.
That could always change, of course, depending on whether Samuel remains on the market by training camp, which doesn't seem likely.