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49ers Have Gotten "Worse" After Free Agency Says PFF

It's hard to disagree.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Maliek Collins (99) tackles Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Maliek Collins (99) tackles Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Free agency was a mass exodus for the 49ers.

Their exit door was used significantly more than their entrance. Granted, a lot of the free agent departures were expected and not worth re-signing at their price.

Still, the 49ers lost or cut a lot of fairly impactful players. Replacing them will be tough, especially if they are doing so in the upcoming NFL draft.

That is why Pro Football Focus believes the 49ers have gotten worse after free agency. It's hard to disagree with them. Here is their explanation.

"They’ve undoubtedly made themselves weaker in the short term. Dre Greenlaw, Maliek Collins and Talanoa Hufanga all leave big holes on defense. The three-year, $20.25 million contract handed to Luke Farrell will help the 49ers continue to run the ball well, Farrell earned a 61.9 run-blocking grade in 2024, but it’s a lot of money for a tight end primarily known for his blocking skills.

"Mac Jones gives the 49ers good depth at quarterback, and there are some intriguing one-year flier deals for Jason Pinnock and Luke Gifford, but the 49ers have regressed. There’s just too much good talent lost this offseason."

Charvarius Ward is also another player whose departure makes the 49ers worse. It's just a difficult situation to be in for the 49ers.

Now, just because they got worse, it doesn't mean they are a bad team. Although you could say so since they did finish with a 6-11 record.

But with a clean slate going into 2025 and more investment into young players, the 49ers are still in a solid position to be playoff contenders.

They still have Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Brock Purdy, and Deommodore Lenoir as their studs.

That's enough to make them decent along with the promising 2024 rookies heading into their second year. If they grab a few more impactful rookies in the upcoming draft, watch out.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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