Grading the 49ers' Moves in Free Agency

I breakdown each and every move the 49ers have conducted since free agency kicked off.

Making a lot of moves in free agency was never going to be apart of the San Francisco 49ers' plan. They wanted to keep as many of their players on the team who were set to be free agents.

Now that doesn't necessarily move the needle or breed much excitement. However, the 49ers' plan is sound. Teams do not win in the regular season from the moves they made in March. If anything, investing too much time and resources in free agency can hurt a team more than enhance it.

So how did the 49ers do in executing their plan in free agency? I breakdown each and every move the 49ers have conducted since free agency kicked off.

Re-Signed DL Arik Armstead

Contract: Five-years, $85 million contract with $45.85 million in guarantees per OverTheCap.

From the very moment the 49ers started clearing out the locker room, questions regarding the future of Arik Armstead came in waves. His future with the team was unclear, but one thing was for certain was that both sides wanted to get a deal done. The 49ers ended up locking Armstead up for the next five-years. 

Unfortunately, the re-signing of Armstead would end up forcing the 49ers' hand by dealing DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. It was a necessary move for the team given their current salary-cap situation, but one that the team wished they could have avoided. 

Nevertheless, Armstead being brought back opened up flexibility for the 49ers since it forced them to trade Buckner. Not only did they retain their second best defensive lineman (yes, he was better than Buckner in 2019), but they freed up cap space and acquired desperately needed draft capital. So the signing of Armstead was fantastic for multiple reasons, not just because of the player alone.

Grade: A

Traded DT DeForest Buckner

Contract: Signed with the Indianapolis Colts for four-years, $84 million with $56.378 million in guarantees per OverTheCap.

It's never easy to cut ties with a high-caliber player, especially someone who was a leader on the team. Still, the 49ers were able to leave their emotions at the door when negotiating a trade with the Colts to send Buckner to them. The trade of Buckner came at a great surprise because it was believed that the Niners were looking to extend him this offseason along with tight end George Kittle.

However, the 49ers likely saw that as a pipe-dream to do so. That is what lead the 49ers to extend Armstead and send Buckner packing. Armstead carries a versatile role in the defense and comes at a cheaper price. Not to mention that Buckner holds significantly more value in a trade, thus the acquisition of the Colts' No. 13 pick. 

This was a trade that will sting the 49ers and the fans, but will not be enough to derail them by any means. San Francisco will now be major players in the NFL draft in late April, which they can draft a good/great player who will be on a rookie deal. The main takeaway from this trade is that the 49ers have tremendous foresight. Rather than let Buckner play on the final year of his rookie deal, they maximized his value to sustain long-term success for the team.

Grade: A

Re-Signed S Jimmie Ward

Contract: Three-years, $28.5 million contract with $17 million in guarantees per OverTheCap. 

Entering the offseason, the idea of the 49ers retaining safety Jimmie Ward was highly unlikely. Ward came off of career year in which he performed as one of the top safeties in the game. His cost was going to be out of the 49ers' realm of possibility due to their limited salary-cap space. However, this is why the Buckner trade is so significant.

Yes, they lose a stellar player on the defensive line but they were able to retain both Armstead and Ward because of it. Trading Buckner freed up over $12 million in cap space, which the 49ers used to re-sign Ward. The No. 2 ranked defense in 2019 will remain intact aside from Buckner's departure.

The main goal for the 49ers entering the offseason was to keep the team intact. Head coach Kyle Shanahan saw that his team was well-beyond better than the next few teams after them. Keeping the team intact would maintain continuity to ensure that 2020 would be successful. So far, they have done a tremendous job of it.

Grade: A

Re-Signed DE Ronald Blair

Contract: One-year deal to remain with the 49ers. Details of his contract are currently unknown. 

Blair is best known for his miraculous play in week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks when he sacked Russell Wilson on a critical play. He would end up tearing his ACL on that very same play. Prior to his injury, Blair was a solid rotational player on the defensive front. He  would spell either Nick Bosa or Dee Ford to keep the pass rush consistent. It's safe to say that Blair is a key depth player, especially since Buckner is now gone. That means Armstead can kick inside more often if need be. 

Grade: B

Tendered WR Kendrick Bourne and RB Matt Breida

Contract: Both players were given a second-round tender. Barring a change of scenery, these two will be with the 49ers in 2020 at a $3.259 million salary.

The 2019 season of Kendrick Bourne and Matt Breida were quite the role-reversal. Breida started the first half of the season hot and then cooled down dramatically. Bourne was a slow starter in the first half and then took off once Emmanuel Sanders was acquired. Tendering Bourne was a no-brainer as he established himself as clutch player for the 49ers on third-down and in the redzone. 

Breida, however, comes as a little bit of a shock because he was hardly given the light of day as the season was nearing its end. It just shows that the coaching staff has not given up on him. An offseason to hit the reset button just may be the right solution to getting him back on track. Both of these players should be slated for a strong 2020 season.

Grade: B

Restructured RB Jerick McKinnon's Contract

Contract: McKinnon's restructure details are unknown at this moment.

Running back Jerick McKinnon has been a lost cause for the 49ers since the moment he tore his ACL. The guy has just never been able to find any stroke of luck when it comes to healing his injury. McKinnon is not blind to the situation and knows he hasn't done anything for the team. That is why he was more than willing to a contract restructure to remain with the team.

Although I was on the side that the 49ers should just cut ties with McKinnon. There is no point in investing time on a guy who's health is a fragile as glass. Regardless, there isn't much harm in bringing him back to see what he can do. Shanahan has to be drooling at the mouth of the idea that if McKinnon is finally healthy he can put him to good use.

Grade: B-

Re-Signed C Ben Garland

Contract: One-year, $2.25 million deal.

The retention of Ben Garland is just another example of the 49ers wanting to keep the team intact. Garland did a stout job of filling in for starting center Weston Richburg when he was placed on injured reserve. It's never an easy job filling in so late in the season, but Garland did it so smoothly. The offensive line hardly skipped a beat, which is a testament to the preparedness of Garland. He is also added insurance to Richburg's health and the interior offensive line should they feel the need to insert him there.

Grade: C+

Re-Signed OT Shon Coleman

Contract: One-year deal worth $887,500. 

Shon Coleman's season ended before it started in 2019 when he dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula in the first preseason game. 2020 should hopefully give him a chance to contribute to the team. If 2019 taught the 49ers anything it is that offensive line depth is crucial. Injuries was the theme on that end for the team, so Coleman is a contingency should 2020 replicate the 2019 theme.

Grade: C

Released OG Mike Person

By releasing Mike Person, the 49ers saved $2.5 million in salary-cap space. The release of Person doesn't come as a surprise. The interior offensive line of the 49ers was their weakest area on the team with Person leading the charge. His release signifies that the Niners believe they can find an upgrade in the draft, which shouldn't be too difficult. Person was a strong run blocker, but pass blocking wasn't so much his bread-and-butter

Grade: B-

Signed OG Tom Compton and LB Joe Walker

Contract: Compton signed a one-year, $3 million deal. Walker signed a one-year deal with the details currently unknown.  

Tom Compton's signing follows the release of Person. He will likely be competing for the right guard starting role against Daniel Brunskill. Other than that, he is simply a depth piece to fill out. The same goes for Joe Walker who is filling in for Elijah Lee. The Niners did not place a tender on Lee, so Walker fills the needed special teams role.

Grade: C