How Should the 49ers Wrap up Free Agency?

The 49ers’ return to prominence was slower than some fans hoped.

Prior to the 2019 season, patience was starting to wear thin, especially with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Yet, patience was rewarded last year as the team went from worst to first in the NFC, ending a few plays short of a Super Bowl title. Years of competitive losing brought on this winning foundation.

Home run draft picks (Nick Bosa, George Kittle, DeForest Buckner, Deebo Samuel and Fred Warner) combined with first-rate acquisitions (Richard Sherman, Jimmy Garoppolo, Dee Ford and Kyle Juszczyk) to form a winning infrastructure. Now that the groundwork is in place, the 49ers must build around what they’ve developed.

Like all teams, the 49ers can’t keep everyone. They were able to lock up Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward, but were unable to extend Buckner, who was traded to the Colts for the 13th overall pick. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is currently a free agent and might be too expensive and right guard Mike Person was released for cap space.

With the ongoing cap restraints, big-money acquisitions like years past are highly unlikely. However, savvy low-cost signings and restocking through the draft are offseason focal points, and are imperative to their continued success.

Earlier this week, the 49ers re-signed defensive end Ronald Blair III, reserve center Ben Garland and tackle Shon Coleman, while tendering contracts to restricted free agents Matt Breida and Kendrick Bourne.

Blair, who has 13.5 sacks in 47 career games, was having a nice year before an ACL tear ended his season. Garland was a capable stand-in for the injured Weston Richburg at center, and would be a solid replacement for Person. Coleman, who missed 2019 with an injury, was projected to be the team’s backup tackle, and should reassume that role again.

If Breida and Bourne are indeed brought back, that will lessen the blow dealt by losing Sanders, and replenish two important weapons for Garoppolo and the offense.

There are just two teams that have not added any players from outside of their organization so far this offseason: the Chiefs and 49ers.

That is - at least in part - a reflection of two already formidable rosters where fewer holes exist and a premium placed on retaining talent.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 18, 2020

So far, the lone signing outside of the organization is offensive lineman Tom Compton. The former Jet arrives in Santa Clara with a similar profile to that of Person.

The majority of Compton’s career has been as a backup, but he’s made 35 career starts over eight NFL seasons (five at right guard with the Jets in 2019). Compton immediately enters the right guard competition with Garland and Daniel Brunskill, but he can also fill in at left guard and both tackle positions.

This shrewd move provides cap-relief, depth and competition to an already talented roster. The team could find a way to fit guys like Markus Golden, Mike Daniels or Timmy Jernigan, but it’s far more likely they focus on re-signing Damontre Moore, Sheldon Day, Earl Mitchell or Anthony Zettel.

Once they take care of their chickens, they can shift all attention toward the draft and infuse more youth into this dominant roster.

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