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The production hasn’t been there, but he’s a great fit.
Two things have already become clear with the 49ers this offseason. One, they have a lot of issues to address. Two, they aren’t prepared to spend that much money to address them.
The 49ers added to the holes on their roster when they acquiesced to Deebo Samuel’s trade request, dealing him for a fifth-round pick while taking on $31 million in dead cap.
Samuel is a receiver on the downswing, but his departure has diminished the 49ers’ depth at wideout and limited the financial flexibility while leaving them looking short at a key position, especially with Brandon Aiyuk’s status for the start of the 2025 season up in the air.
San Francisco has already met with several wide receivers in the 2025 draft class and there are options on the open market. A blockbuster move for Davante Adams would make sense in terms of giving the 49ers a separator to lessen the pressure on Aiyuk. Signing Tyler Lockett following his release by the Seattle Seahawks would provide the 49ers with a more affordable route-running savant, albeit one who appears to be on the decline.
Yet the 49ers have been open about their desire to get younger and pull things back a little in terms of their spending. If they want to achieve both those aims and save more draft capital for other positions, then there is a free agent receiver who stands out as a potentially astute addition.
Elijah Moore entered the 2021 draft projecting as a perfect fit for the 49ers’ offense as a shifty inside-out receiver with great route-running prowess and some yards after catch upside.
No surprise then, that he landed with Kyle Shanahan acolytes Robert Saleh and Mike LaFleur as a second-round pick of the New York Jets. Having requested a trade following the 2022 season, he was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in 2023, but two seasons in a toxic situation with largely futile quarterback play has done little for his career.
Now he heads to the open market as a 24-year-old free agent with just 2,162 yards to his name after four seasons.
But his age, his versatility, and the room he still clearly has to grow before he hits his prime years should make Moore very appealing to San Francisco.
If you’re looking for advanced metrics that illustrate why Moore is an enticing possible value add, you’re largely going to be disappointed. Moore’s advanced metrics from 2024 are awful, reflective of a receiver who only had two games of more than 50 yards last year but also reflective of the disastrous offense the Browns wheeled out as they continue to pay the price for their Deshaun Watson bet.
But his performance in average separation over the course of his NFL career speaks to his consistency in getting open. Average separation can be a difficult statistic to parse as it does not detail a receiver’s performance against man coverage versus his average against zone, with the latter coverage obviously more conducive to receivers enjoying the benefit of open space.
Still, Moore was tied-fifth in average separation (3.7 yards) among wideouts as recently as 2023, per NextGen Stats, and has never finished a season with an average of fewer than three yards.
And, though Moore’s flashes were limited last year, the tape from those highpoints is that of a receiver who boasts the route-running prowess to get open regularly and the skill set to thrive with a change of scenery as part of a 49er offense he still fits extremely well.
Moore’s strengths as a route-runner align with the staple timing routes of the 49er offense. He excels on comebacks and curls as well as out routes, his proficiency in this regard a product of his ability to sell vertical routes to defenders and then effortlessly change his path at the top of the route.
Moore can stop on a dime and work back to the ball extremely well, but also boasts the fluidity to change direction without decelerating dramatically, helping him create separation on out routes and in-breakers.
The first clip in the below tweet is a great example of how Moore’s smoothness at the top of his routes aids his fit in a 49er attack that feasts on zone coverage. Moore is able to break off his route at exactly the right depth versus zone to give himself a huge void to run into and, had Jameis Winston delivered a better ball, Moore would have likely gained significant yards after the catch.
Moore’s strengths don’t just align with what Kyle Shanahan has traditionally asked of his receivers, they also align with the challenges the offense is now being presented with by opposing defenses, namely a hugely increased rate of man coverage.
Though he has not established himself as a receiver who can consistently shred man coverage, Moore’s change of direction upside gives him the potential to do so.
This explosive play against the Denver Broncos is a perfect example. Moore stems outside to create the leverage to break back towards the middle of the field. Already with a clear step on the man defender, he then fluidly changes direction back towards the deep corner. With an accurate ball from Winston, it’s probably a touchdown.
There are questions to be asked of Moore. At 5ft 10in and 180 pounds, can he get off press coverage? Why has his overall production been so disappointing? Is that purely an issue of team situation? Now back with the 49ers, Saleh will be able to provide insight as to what happened in New York to inform a decision on signing him.
But, rather than paying up for an ageing Adams or backing Lockett to fight against the dying light of his career, Moore is the type of young player smart teams bet on in free agency. He’s still some way from his prime and will likely come cheap, perhaps freeing the 49ers up to make aggressive plays on defense for the likes of Joey Bosa and Jonathan Allen.
Even with the Samuel dead cap hit, the 49ers’ cap situation is not as dire as many would have you believe, but a low-risk, high-reward move like signing Moore is the type of deal they should be looking to do to improve their roster without sacrificing room for maneuver. Saleh ensured the 49ers did not have a chance to draft Moore in the second round in 2021. Four years later, it would be a smart play to try to help him realize his obvious potential.
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Kyle Shanahan’s insistence on the 49ers retaining Brandon Aiyuk has undermined his leverage, opines Mike Silver.
Less than a year removed from the San Francisco 49ers tumultuous contract negotiations with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, the end result may have helped shake things up in Santa Clara. At least, that’s what The Athletic’s NFL insider Michael Silver wrote earlier this week in an excellent piece detailing the circumstances that kept Aiyuk in the Bay Area and explained how things are unlikely to play out in a similar way going forward. For better or worse, the Niners down season has led owner Jed York to be less willing to defer to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
“In the wake of a 6-11 season, a more significant change has taken place,” Silver writes. “Going ‘all in’ is out; coach-driven emotion is no longer a guiding principle. The 49ers are attempting to be cold, calculated and analytical when it comes to roster decisions, an organizational reset that coincides with the negotiation of a massive contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy.”
It’s been well litigated that the 49ers agreed to trade Aiyuk to the Steelers prior to this past season, but ultimately inked a nine-figure extension with him instead. Of course, in his first season under that deal, Aiyuk tore his ACL after just seven games, which had also been far less productive than recent seasons. Silver’s reporting added that an early training camp tiff between Shanahan and Aiyuk also fueled some buyer’s remorse in the Niners’ building.
An organization that attempts to reel in Shanahan’s seemingly emotional approach to player evaluation is far from a massive concern. Throughout his tenure with the 49ers, he’s shown a tendency to fall in love with certain players above the rest of the league, leading to some regrettable overinvestments. However, the question is not whether the Niners could use another voice to quell Shanahan’s urges; it’s whether the fanbase should trust Jed York and Paraag Marathe to do so.
After all, Marathe was fired as the 49ers president of football operations back in 2015, and York was most known for allowing Trent Baalke to derail Jim Harbaugh’s tenure and spawn an era of instability before bringing in Shanahan. It’s important to note that Silver draws some clear distinction between this era and the previous one. Shanahan is not on the hot seat, “not even lukewarm,” according to Silver. That should leave more space for a true back-and-forth between the head coach and top brass.
Still, the track record of highly involved owners is far from great. As the pivotal negotiations with Brock Purdy get underway, a lot is riding on the 49ers' ability to manage the difficult decisions ahead. Kyle Shanahan may have been able to single-handedly make that choice before, but now, it appears York will be more willing to disagree with his head coach.
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San Francisco could look to a familiar face to fill a major void for the future.
The San Francisco 49ers have quite a few free agents hitting the open market this offseason, with several of them having been starters over the past few years.
The most notable names who could command quality money include left guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
With the guard market exploding over the last few offseasons, it figures that Banks will get near or inside the top-10 range for guards in free agency. That currently stands at $16 million per year, which may be way too hefty for the 49ers’ liking.
Ward has publicly stated that he doesn’t intend to return to San Francisco, which makes sense with both the business and personal side of things, given the cornerback’s personal tragedy this past year and the fact that the 49ers paid Deommodore Lenoir good money.
Hargrave will be released by the 49ers on the first day of the new year and general manager John Lynch initially said the team would have interest in re-signing him. But, he backed that up at the 2025 NFL Combine by sharing that the defensive tackle market will be robust, and Hargrave will likely get a fairly commanding salary in free agency.
Of the four, Greenlaw seems the likeliest to return, but even he could get a strong multi-year deal elsewhere to be the No. 1 linebacker on a defense, which could price himself out of San Francisco’s range as well.
There is a sleeper free agent, however, that should earn a healthy salary that San Francisco could bring back: offensive tackle Jaylon Moore.
Moore, who has been a swing tackle for much of his career in San Francisco, started a career-high five games at left tackle this season in place of Trent Williams and impressed at times.
Now set to hit free agency, reports are suggesting that Moore could even climb into the $15 million per year range as teams are desperate for starting tackles, which rarely come available to sign.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer suggested that Minnesota’s Cam Robinson and Pittsburgh’s Dan Moore are the top tackles on the board in free agency with Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley staying put. Moore would be right after in that range.
And, the 49ers actually may be interested in keeping him.
The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami suggested on Sunday that the 49ers are prepared to be competitive in the bidding war for Moore, suggested they have interest in keeping him to be a future starter at tackle.
While Moore has only started in 12 games in his career, he is only 27 years old and the 49ers have a gaping hole at tackle following next season with Trent Williams’s uncertainty and Colton McKivitz being a free agent.
So, Moore could make sense to retain if the 49ers feel that they don’t have a better option to secure future talent this offseason via the draft. However, it doesn’t seem like he’ll come cheap.
Set Number: X163145 TK1
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Monday, March 10th, 2025
“That is false,” Russini told her co-host, Chase Daniel. “That would be disrespectful, and that did not happen. That’s not true. That’s not true. That did not happen. They did not offer $45 million.”
After scanning the room to see what she had on hand, Russini added that she would bet her phone the report was inaccurate.
Others have suggested that the 49ers have significant leverage in negotiations, as Purdy is under contract for about $5 million in 2025. The team could also utilize the franchise tag for two years after that, which could pay Purdy $97 million over three years.
Still, Russini doesn’t believe the 49ers will take that route.
“I think they are going to get this deal done,” she continued. “I just don’t think it’s going to be as easy as I was expecting this to be. So we’re gonna have to just wait and see as they continue to negotiate. At least the conversations are going.”
“Rapoport and Pelissero also reported Metcalf will receive a five-year $150 million contract extension from the Steelers.”
“During the 49ers’ win over the Bears on Dec. 8, Fox analyst Jonathan Vilma said that linebacker Fred Warner had told him in a production meeting that he liked Collins’ aggression, but he wanted him to be “more consistent.” Asked about the run-defense struggles after a loss at Miami on Dec. 22, head coach Kyle Shanahan pointed to the absence of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and also referenced the performance of Collins and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.”
“Russini’s report also states that the Miami Dolphins are expected to be among the suitor’s for Joey, a Florida native who grew up roughly 30 miles from South Beach in Fort Lauderdale.
The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami mentioned Sunday that he has heard talks between Joey’s camp and the 49ers have gone well and it feels like a deal between the two parties could be coming.”
“That guaranteed figure exceeds Prescott’s $231 million by a significant margin. While it’s unlikely the San Francisco 49ers will offer Brock Purdy a deal with an annual salary higher than Prescott’s, Purdy and his agent are likely most focused on Allen’s guaranteed money and how they can leverage it in their own negotiations.
Unfortunately, the exact portion of that guaranteed amount that is fully guaranteed remains unclear. It’s an important detail—arguably the most important part of the deal. Usually, that aspect is revealed when the contract becomes official and is submitted to the league.
Allen’s $55 million average annual salary now ties him with Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, and Joe Burrow. For Purdy to land among the 10 highest-paid quarterbacks (assuming that is the goal), the 49ers must now offer him at least $51 million annually, putting him on par with Jalen Hurts.”
“Silver reports that at least three other teams are interested in acquiring Greenlaw.
“It will be hard for the 49ers to keep [LB] Fred Warner’s partner in grime—not impossible, though,” Silver notes.”
“Moore earned a career-high 74.9 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus last season, ranking third among the 49ers’ offensive linemen, behind only Williams and surprising rookie Dominick Puni. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Moore is expected to have a strong market once he hits free agency.”
Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images
We’ll be keeping tabs on everything NFL-related that happens in free agency on Monday
Monday will be one of the busiest days on the NFL calendar as the negotiating window officially begins. As we saw on Sunday, deals are already flying in.
The Cleveland Browns gave Myles Garrett a new contract. Garrett said he wanted to play for a contender, but money talks.
Josh Allen became very wealthy. His contract does not affect what the 49ers will pay Brock Purdy.
Kyle’s update, 4:56 p.m. PT: Per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, defensive tackle Kevin Givens is re-signing with the 49ers on a one-year deal. Givens played under Robert Saleh dating back to his rookie season. The 49ers must love his practice habits and work ethic in general to keep Givens around and keep re-signing him. That’s a testamnt to Givens as he was an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Kyle’s update, 1:50 p.m. PT: It’s been an eventful day. Let’s run through some of the notable moves from the previous few hours:
- Packers sign Raiders CB Nate Hobbs on a $48 million deal — Hobbs was used more as a slot cornerback, so he wasn’t a fit with Deommodore Lenoir already cemented in that role.
- Former Ravens CB Brandon Stephens signed with the Jets on a three-year deal worth $36 million. Another sign that the Niners are looking at cornerbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
- The Chargers signed Donte Jackson on a two-year, $13 million. He’s too inconsistent to trust.
- The Panthers signed Patrick Jones to a two-year, $20 million deal. Jones had seven sacks in 2024. They also signed former Raiders safety Tre’Von Moehrig.
- Pro Football Talk reported that cornerback Darius Slay is eyeing the Steelers
- Jeremy Chinn will replace Moehrig on the Raiders. He signed a two-year deal worth $16 million in Las Vegas.
- Adam Peters sent a 2025 third and seventh-rounder and a 2026 second and fourth-rounder to the Houston Texans for Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders and Texans will also have a pick swap of fourth-rounders in 2025. Jayden Daniels gains a franchise left tackle while C.J. Stroud loses one.
- Grady Jarrett signed a three-year deal worth $43 million with the Chicago Bears.
- Josh Sweat is signing with the Arizona Cardinals on a four-year deal worth $76.4 million.
- Defensive tackle Milton Williams got $63 million to sign with the Patriots and not the Panthers.
- Justin Fields will be throwing to Garrett Wilson again. Fields is the new Jets quarterback.
- The Rams signed Poona Ford, who is a sneaky good run-stopping defensive tackle.
Kyle’s update, 10:13 a.m. PT: Cornerback Carlton Davis signs a three-year, $60 million deal worth $35.6 million with the New England Patriots. Former Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo signed a three-year deal with the New York Giants — who had been mentioned as a landing spot for Charvarius Ward. So, two of the top cornerbacks on the market are off the board.
Jimmy Garoppolo re-signed with the Rams.
Kyle’s update, 9:19 a.m. PT: Former Falcons center Drew Dalman was a popular choice among many fans. He is joining Ben Johnson in Chicago with the Bears on a three-year, $42 million deal that includes $28 million guaranteed. Dalman becomes the second-highest-paid center in the NFL.
Kyle’s update, 9:06 a.m. PT: Former Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who has been linked to the 49ers, is visiting the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said there’s a “good amount of interest.”
Edge rusher Haason Reddick has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year deal for $14 million with $12 million guaranteed.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin also re-signed with Tampa Bay on a three-year deal worth $66 million.
Some fans wanted D.J. Jones back, but he returned to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night on a deal that’ll pay D.J. around $13 million.
The highest-paid defensive back in NFL history is likely a player the average fan knows little about. The Carolina Panthers and Jaycee Horn have agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension.
The Atlanta Falcons released two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, who spent the last decade with the Falcons. Kyle Shanahan knows firsthand how Jarrett practices. Jarrett, who turns 32 in April, finished 2024 with 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits
He finished 31st among defensive tackles in pass rush winning percentage. For reference, Maliek Collins finished 12th. Jarrett would likely need to agree to a team-friendly contract, as there could be a youth movement at the position.
Stay tuned for updates that’ll be coming in all day.
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Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
“But the 49ers and Greenlaw were not able to come to an agreement to keep the union together heading into the 2025 season.”
“I also continue to hear that the conversations with Purdy’s camp have been good throughout this process. Neither side is taking an extreme position and both sides believe an extension is within reach before too long. Nothing is imminent with Purdy — the 49ers are pretty busy right now — but I expect that there will be a deal by May or so. Everybody I talk to expects a deal, and I talk to some people who can be very pessimistic.
So yes, a Purdy deal, whenever it happens, would be a sign that there is a practical plan here. But it hasn’t happened yet. And it’s just part of the explanation for this.
It’s not wrong for a team to decide that it won’t overpay for 30-somethings. But the 49ers have to figure out when to pay the right 30-somethings. They have to show the leaders of the locker room that there’s still a commitment to paying what it takes to win. Even if that commitment has been adjusted a bit, the 49ers can still do this by paying Kittle and Warner what they deserve for remaining at the very top of their games.
And the 49ers have to show their players, coaches, and fans that they’ve stayed out of Day 1 of free agency for a strategic reason. That’s when the overpayments happen. That’s when regrettable deals are made. Day 2 is when the smartest teams can jump into the opportunity market.
Well, let’s see the 49ers do that. You can give them all the benefit of the doubt for Day 1, but that means the other days — and the other players — are more important now. I think Lynch and Kyle Shanahan might agree with this.”
“Update: Silver later stated that a source familiar with the discussions disputes that any offer has been made to Bosa by the 49ers and that the numbers discussed are wrong. “It’s possible Bosa will get more than $10 million from a team,” Silver added.”
“Run it back like it’s 2019 all over again? No, those days are quickly fading. With Juszczyk and Greenlaw on their way out, Warner, tight end George Kittle, defensive end Nick Bosa and punter Mitch Wishnowsky are the only players who took part in that game who are still part of the roster.
The 49ers are bound to make more additions as the week rolls on. Bosa’s older brother, Joey, could be the splash addition the team was missing on Monday.”
“Through four seasons, Farrell has been on the field for 1,152 offensive plays and 501 on special teams. The tight end has a modest 36 career receptions for 318 yards, but as George Kittle’s backup, Farrell won’t need to be a dominant pass catcher.
In 2024, Farrell appeared on 238 run-blocking plays, earning a 61.9 average PFF grade. On 49 pass protection plays, he only allowed one pressure, leading to an 82.6 pass protection grade for the season. He has allowed only four total pressures in 125 career pass-protection plays.”
“The San Francisco 49ers are among the teams reportedly showing interest in quarterback Jameis Winston for a potential backup role, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson.”
“Then 8 years old, Greenlaw moved in with his maternal grandfather. He calls him Paw-Paw. He was a concrete figure in the family, stable and consistent. A hard worker known for his kindness. He was a manager at Home Depot for years. Further proof it’s a small world: Greenlaw would come to learn that one 49ers teammate knew his grandfather. George Odum, a backup safety and special teams guru, played his college ball at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. During the pandemic, the Tennessee native took a job at Home Depot to make ends meet. He worked for Greenlaw’s grandfather.
“He was like an old school guy, by the book,” Odum said. “This was before I even knew Dre. One of my best friends, she knows Dre’s whole family and would tell me a little bit. Just hearing what he’d been through when he was younger … it kind of shows you what God does for you and how you never know what role people will fill.”
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DeMarcus Robinson will enter his 10th season as a pro. He caught 31 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns with the Rams last season.
The San Francisco 49ers sign former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million. He was relatively productive in 2024 with the Rams, catching 31 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing most of the month of December.
Robinson figures to fill in for Brandon Aiyuk until he returns from injury. That would mean the Niners go into the season with Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Robinson as their main trio of pass catchers — outside of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson had receptions of 14, 42, 32, 19, 16, 25, 39, 23, 13, 46, and 31. That tells me he has big play ability and speed to stretch the field. Sean McVay primarily used Robinson as an outside receiver. Of the 993 snaps he played in 2024, 700 of those came out wide. That would allow Jennings to stay in the slot while Robinson and Pearsall are interchangeable.
Something else that stands out about Robinson was how often the Rams targeted him deep. He had 22 targets at 20+ yards for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Matthew Stafford had a 95.8 passer rating when targeting Robinson deep. He was targeted more at the intermediate (27) and deep (22) levels of the field than the under nine yards (20), making Robinson a good fit.
For those who pay attention to separation stats, Robinson was in the top 20 in average separation scores in each of the past three seasons. In 2024, Robinson was 20th.
Robinson, who turns 31 in September, had a career year last year with the Rams. He hadn’t surpassed 500 receiving yards in a season before 2024. The familiarity, speed, size, fit, and durability likely made Robinson an intriguing option for the 49ers.
Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters “He does have some things that he’s gotta work through legally [this] offseason that could prevent play time in the future, so that’s the reality. We appreciate what he’s done” around the NFL Combine.
The Rams might have been concerned about Robinson’s DUI arrest and whether it would result in a suspension. We will see if that is resolved.
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
“Under the rules for the NFL’s compensatory picks, the 49ers will receive three additional draft choices for net losses during free agency a year ago.”
“However, Robinson was arrested for suspicion of DUI in the early morning of Nov. 25 after he was allegedly driving more than 100 mph on Highway 101 several hours after a prime-time home loss to the Eagles. Robinson was charged with one count of misdemeanor DUI in January. Rams general manager Les Snead indicated last week that he could face an NFL suspension during the 2025 season.
“He does have some things that he’s got to work through legally (this) offseason that could prevent play time in the future,” Snead said. “So that’s the reality. We appreciate what he’s done.”
“He likes players who can get open in tight spaces and get off the line of scrimmage cleanly. That wasn’t Samuel’s strong suit, and it became problematic last season when defenses played more man coverage against the 49ers. Robinson doesn’t have tremendous size at just under 6-foot-2, he ran an ordinary 4.59-second 40-yard dash before his rookie season and his YAC yardage was minimal last season. But later in his career, he’s been someone who can get open and a wideout the Rams leaned on when more heralded teammates were injured. He played in all 17 games last season and set career highs in catches (31), receiving yards (505) and touchdowns (7).”
““But this was the logical time to do it,” Breer said. “And if you want real encouragement, here it is for you. The Buffalo Bills did this exact same thing last year. And the Bills, I think it was something like $65 million in dead cap they took on. They got rid of a ton of guys.”
Many questioned how the Bills would manage after their own roster overhaul.
“And you know what ended up happening? A great program carried them through,” Breer commented. “The Rams, two years ago, same thing. The Rams, two years ago, they ate all of this dead money. They traded away [CB] Jalen Ramsey. What are the Rams going to do? Well, it was a front office, a coaching staff that made a lot of good decisions over the years, continuing to make good decisions, filling out the roster.
“And now, what do you see? You see the Rams and Bills in a good position going forward with clean cap and a full complement of draft picks. I think that’s sort of where the Niners are.”
“While Gifford (6-3, 243) played 77% of the special teams snaps last season, he also contributed to 20% of the defensive snaps.”
“Last season, he added four tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, three sacks, and a pass defensed.
Pinnock, 25, has totaled 227 tackles (12 for a loss), 11 quarterback hits, two interceptions, a touchdown, 6.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, and five forced fumbles over his four NFL seasons.”
“The 49ers will try to fill some holes in free agency, but this year’s group of players on the open market was considered underwhelming. And it has already been picked over plenty during the legal-tampering period, which began Monday.
The 49ers’ top remaining defensive tackle option could be Detroit’s Levi Onwuzurike, 27 whose career totals include 10 starts and 3.5 sacks. The best available edge rushers are past-their-prime players such as DeMarcus Lawrence, 32, and Za’Darius Smith, 32. At linebacker, it’s possible another aging player, Eric Kendricks, 33, tops the list after he backed out of a verbal agreement with the 49ers last year.
It appears Lynch wasn’t joking last month when he said the 49ers needed to get younger — and cheaper — through the draft.”
“Mason can still negotiate with any other team. But if another team signs him to an offer sheet and the 49ers decline to match, San Francisco would receive a second-round pick as compensation.
The second-round tender, in effect, discourages any other team from pursuing Mason as a free agent.
The 49ers took a similar approach last year with wide receiver Jauan Jennings. San Francisco tendered Jennings at a second-round level but eventually replaced that tender with a new two-year, $15.4 million contract.”
“He has been plagued by injuries throughout his professional career, sitting out 23 games over the past three seasons with a variety of ailments.”
“Floyd had 8.5 sacks last season, his first with the 49ers after signing a two-year, $20 million contract with San Francisco last offseason.”
“Robinson spent most of the 2024 season recovering from a torn ACL, but recent reports indicate he is progressing well.”
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The San Francisco 49ers have a new backup quarterback, and it’s one they considered in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It seems like yesterday when the San Francisco 49ers were linked to then-Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. Trading up for a player who was, by all accounts, carried by his supporting cast never added up.
The 49ers ended up going in a different direction, but as recently as 2023, ESPN’s Adam Schefter stood firm about his initial stance that the 49ers were trading up with the idea that they were drafting Jones.
Here’s Schefter in June 2023 on the Pat MacAfee Show:
Well, guess who ended up being right?!
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the 49ers have agreed to terms with Jones on a two-year deal for $7 million, with $5 million guaranteed. Jones can earn a maximum of $11.5 million, likely through playing time.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted that the 49ers made an offer for Jones last year before New England tarded him to Jacksonville. Now, they get Jones without giving up any draft capital.
Unsurprisingly, the 49ers will head into the NFL Draft with a backup quarterback for Brock Purdy other than Tanner Mordecai.
Jones started seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season once Trevor Lawrence was lost for the season. He averaged 6.4 yards per target and threw eight touchdowns and interceptions. Jacksonville scored a combined 13 points in Jones’s first two starts. He had one game north of 250 passing yards last season. Jones is 20-29 during his career as a starter
The former No. 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has 49 career starts dating back to his time with the New England Patriots. Jones turns 27 in September. Just as we said with Sam Darnold, Josh Dobbs, and Brandon Allen, if we’re ever talking about any non-Purdy quarterback during the fall, something has gone wrong.
