Kurtenbach: Grading the 49ers’ free agency moves… so far
Here’s the thing about the early portion of NFL free agency: it is “won” by bad teams.
Good teams don’t have much money to spend on big-time free agents. They’re too busy re-signing their own, winning players.
So congratulations to the Panthers, who are singing players left and right.
The 49ers are not in such a position.
Still, they’ve made two newsworthy signings and brought back two unrestricted free agents.
Some talent has exited, too. Here are my grades (and overall grade) on the Niners’ free agency period, to date:
Signed: Javon Hargrave (DT)
Grade: B
Hargrave fits the 49ers’ pass-rusher mold to a T. I have some questions about his ability to stop the run — a more significant issue for the Niners at defensive tackle — but he’s an unquestioned upgrade at a position of massive need.
The Niners are in it for today, and adding Hargrave (age 30) to a front-loaded deal is a clear symbol of that.
Here’s my larger concern: the structure of the contract.
The Niners gave Hargrave a four-year contract with two void seasons tacked onto the end. That’s common practice for salary cap manipulation in this day and age.
But tomorrow will eventually come, and this deal has no obvious exit route. For a defensive tackle on his third team whose value is predicated on burst off the line of scrimmage, this could be a big issue down the line.
The Niners did not learn the lesson of the Dee Ford contract. In all likelihood, they will eventually have to eat a massive dead-money bill.
It’ll be worth it if Hargrave helps this team win a Super Bowl. But he better be an obvious hit from Day 1, because Days 600-plus are cost-prohibitive.
Signed: Sam Darnold (QB)
Grade: C
The 49ers had to add a quarterback this offseason, if for no other reason than to correct last season’s mistake, when they needed four. Add in Brock Purdy’s injured elbow, and there was too much uncertainty not to bolster the room.
But does Sam Darnold bolster the room?
The Niners are paying Darnold $3.5 million, guaranteed, to theoretically be the third-string QB and push Lance at the beginning of training camp.
This is a reclamation project for both parties. Darnold wants to prove he can still play in this league and is hoping Kyle Shanahan’s offense will unlock his potential.
Maybe he should be paying the Niners.
Alas, Shanahan wants a high-upside, no-drama quarterback, but doesn’t want to pay borderline starter money.
But seeing as Darnold’s issues haven’t been scheme-related and Shanahan doesn’t have a great track record with project quarterbacks in San Francisco (Lance, Josh Rosen, C.J. Beathard), this arrangement seems strange.
Of course, ideally, Darnold only plays some preseason games and is traded for a Day 2 draft pick before the start of the season.
That’s when the Niners will sign Matt Ryan, right?
Re-signed: Jake Brendel (C)
Grade: A
He didn’t have a great start to the season, but Brendel was really good for the 49ers in 2022. And given the team’s turnover at that position, it was prudent to lock up the UCLA product long-term, even if it meant “overpaying” a bit.
Brendel’s four-year, $20 million contract guarantees $8 million — more than double his career earnings after playing for five different teams.
Good guy, good player, good deal.
Re-signed: Tashaun Gipson (S)
Grade: B
Am I thrilled with the thought of Gipson and Hufanga in the defensive backfield again? Not particularly, as I believe that safeties are destiny on defense.
But from a salary-cap perspective, you can’t argue with the value of Gipson, who signed a one-year, $2.9 million contract.
The safety market is strange, and the position is fickle. The high-end players were out of the Niners’ price range before the offseason even started, and the middle-class players aren’t three or four times more valuable than a guy like Gipson.
The Niners should still focus on safeties in this upcoming NFL Draft, but locking up a solid player at a more than reasonable price is good business.
Worst-case scenario, you have an outstanding special-teams player.
Lost: Jimmy Garoppolo (QB)
Three years, $67.5 million – Las Vegas
Grade: A
All you can do is shake Jimmy’s hand and thank him again for making the 49ers relevant. The exit didn’t go down the way the 49ers brass wanted — and there will always be fans saying the Niners are making a mistake letting Garoppolo leave — but San Francisco is finally moving on.
Garoppolo looks like a bargain for the Raiders when compared to what the Giants just paid Daniel Jones.
Lost: Jimmie Ward (S/NB)
Two years, $13 million – Houston
Grade: D
Now, Ward wasn’t going to re-sign with the Niners unless he was put back at free safety for the upcoming season — San Francisco preferred Gipson — but Ward’s value to this defense was immense, and I think that’ll show in 2023. Not only do the Niners need a new safety to replace Ward, but they also need a new starting nickelback.
Lost: Mike McGlinchey (OT)
Five years, $87.5 million – Denver
Grade: A
It’s not great that the 49ers need a new starting right tackle, but McGlinchey was absolutely priced out of the Bay. He’ll carry a cap number of $18.5 in 2024 and $21 in 2025 through 2027 in Denver.
Yes, McGlinchey was a much better player than his reputation in the Bay suggests, but that’s Lane Johnson money for a player who is not Lane Johnson. The Niners can figure it out.
Lost: Charles Omenihu (DL)
Two years, $20 million – Kansas City
Grade: A
The Niners picked Omenihu up for a sixth-round pick. He was outstanding for the Niners — a genuinely underrated player — but he was not a starter. Kansas City just paid him borderline starter money.
Will it work with the Chiefs? I wouldn’t be surprised if this were a Kerry Hyder situation where Omenihu returns to the 49ers on the cheap this time next season.
Lost: Emmanuel Moseley (CB)
One year, $6 million – Detroit
Grade: C
The price was too rich for the Niners, but losing Moseley — one of the best corners in the league to start last season, before he tore his ACL in Week 5 — could backfire for San Francisco.
It could also backfire on the Lions, too. Moseley is consistently injured.
Ultimately, this is a fair-value price. Could the Niners have been more creative and kept Moseley in red and gold?
Lost: Samson Ebukam (DE)
Three years, $27 million – Indianapolis
Grade: A
Ebukam was a starter for the Niners, but he wasn’t a finisher. Ultimately, he was too inconsistent on the field for the Niners to sign again.
Overall grade: B
It could have been better; it could have been worse. The Niners made a splash but lost a bunch of talented players, too.
The success of the 49ers’ offseason will be determined by the discount portion of free agency and the NFL Draft. That’s fitting for a team of the Niners’ stature.