The 49ers were smart to let this player walk in free agency

It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right one.

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers were not able to retain Aaron Banks in free agency this offseason, but that may have been a good thing. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report went through the All-Overpaid team, and the new Green Bay Packers guard happened to make the list. 

Banks has zero of those Pro Bowl nods, but he has the bigger deal following a move to Green Bay in free agency this offseason.

He's now the sixth-highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the league, but the 2021 second-round pick didn't do much to earn that during a four-year run in San Francisco in which he lacked consistency and put up generally shoddy PFF grades.

Brad Gagnon

Did San Francisco 49ers avoid overpaying Aaron Banks

On the surface, yes, Aaron Banks is overpaid. That is essentially the price of doing business when it comes to free agency. The part about Banks not doing much to earn a contract and putting up shoddy PFF grades is a bit over the top to drive the point home. 

Banks was good in his time with the 49ers, and for the most part, he was consistent. That is why he was overpaid, though. Players like Banks do not hit the market often. Teams like to draft and retain, and especially when it comes to the offensive line, you will not see draft picks hit go to free agency. 

The 49ers are in a different spot, though. They gave to pay Brock Purdy, and they are very top-heavy beyond him. Guys like Trent Williams and Nick Bosa are near the top of their position groups, and their position groups are right after quarterback for the most expensive. 

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

At some point, the 49ers were going to have to cut salary, or at the very least not retain salary. One of those players was Banks. San Francisco is betting that whoever is next to someone as good as Williams can suffice. 

Players who are young, proven, and a scheme fit do not come around in free agency too often. So, the Green Bay Packers pounced on someone that they can see themselves building with. 

You are always going to overpay in free agency because you are bidding against multiple teams, and they are competitive with each other. When you are negotiating in-house, you are just working with the player and his agent, and it can often lead to deals that the team can swallow. 

So, you can make the case that the 49ers would not have paid Banks the same type of money that Green Bay did, even if they did retain him. Still, the 49ers let Banks walk for the player, as he made more money. It worked for Green Bay, as they filled a hole, and it worked for San Francisco because they were able to get the cap into a better situation moving forward. 

The 49ers may miss Banks in the short term, but the decision was smart in the long term.