2025 49ers -
Mick - 02-16-2025
ESPN does not project that the 49ers are one of the top five NFC candidate teams for the 2026 Super Bowl, though vegas odds typically have them in the 3rd to 5th slot in the NFC.
Three major coaching additions:
1) Robert Saleh is returning to improve the 27th ranked defense (by points allowed) or 8th ranked defense (by yards allowed).
2) Brant Boyer, fresh off of nine years' worth of special teams coaching at New York Jets, has been hired to turn around special teams.
3) The 49ers have hired a DB coach for the first time since 2020, Ray Brown of Boston College who coached BC to the ACC's interception lead last year.
Some thoughts on 2024 and needed improvement in 2025:
Defense- In 2024, the 49ers gave up 436 points, worst since 2016 and 27th best in the NFL.
- The season before, they were third in points given up, the season before that they were 1st, ranked top in the NFL.
- So Wilks only took us down to third, Sorenson dropped us to 27th.
- Odd, fun fact: in terms of yards allowed, the 49ers were 8th in both 2024 and 2023, per Pro Football Reference.
- Why the difference? First, turnover ratio. 49ers were -10 for the year, 25th in the league. The year before, they were +10, tied for 5th in the league and only two behind the Ravens and Giants, league leaders.
- Second issue was special teams...
Special teams rankings- The Good: In 2024, the 49ers ranked 7th in punt returns.
- The Bad: they ranked 11th in extra points, 11th in kickoff returns, 26th in extra points given up (function of defense allowing so many TDs)
- The Ugly. Lots. This was a terrible special teams season:
- 10th in opponent field goal attempts but 19th in field goals made.
- 21st in opponent punts, 20th in opponent return yards, 22nd in opponent kick returns, 23rd in opponent kickoff return yards
- 27th in field goal percentage made
- 29th in punting average
- 32nd in net punting average, dead last.
Offense- Shanahan, BTW, still has the offensive magic.
- The 49ers were ranked 4th in yards gained on offense (but only 13th in points, hence the 6-11 record)
- In 2023 they were 3rd in points scored and 2nd in yards (with CMC and Aiyuk and Kittle and Deebo).
- In 2022, similar results with 6th in yards and 5th in points.
- Bad red zone success this year, but then we lacked an LT for half the year, Aiyuk for most of the year, CMC for all of the year and Deebo was ineffective. Result was 3rd in NFL in field goal attempts, but 10th in field goals made.
Solutions
- New special teams coach Boyer, DB Coach Brown and DC Saleh had better be awesome throughout the season. The 49ers lost 20 net turnovers between 2023 and 2024. 49ers had the NFL’s most INTs in 2022 (20) and 2023 (22) before falling to T15 in 2024 with 11.
- Either Moody (high ankle sprain) and Wishnowsky (lower back) are over their injuries, or they have to go. Both were actually very effective pre-injury.
- CMC has to come back strong.
- They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
- Juczszyk is very important to their offense and his skills have been declining. Hopefully he comes back strong or they get another good fullback.
- Dre Greenlaw needs to come back strong.
- Either Hufanga comes back strong or get rid of him.
- Sign Purdy.
- Nail the draft. They have nine picks, four in the Top 100. They have all their regular picks except a fifth rounder and they have compensatory picks after the 3rd, 5th and 7th rounds. Depending on free agents, and in my order of preference, they need multiple DLs, multiple OLs, multiple LBs, at least one DB, probably one WR, possibly one RB and possibly a TE. If a talented QB slips to 5th round or worse, they might take him.
- The 49ers have 34 pending free agents, six are restricted (TE Tonges, DE Okuayinonu, TE Willis, LB Graham, DT Anderson, OT Pleasants). They will likely re-sign all six. The other 28 can go anywhere. My thoughts:
- Keep: LB Robinson and Stanford alum (their one good special teams player), RB Mason, LB Greenlaw, CB Ward
- On the fence: S Hufanga, RB Mitchell, OL Moore, OL Bartch, S Gipson, WR Conley, DT Davis, OG Banks, LB Flannigan-Fowles, DT Givens, QB Allen, QB Dobbs. Sign them if it's a workable number.
- Lose: DT Hargrave, OL Hennessy, RB Taylor, CB McCloud, OT Heck, CB Ya-Sin, P O’Donnell (unless Wishnowsky is injury-free), TE Saubert, OL Feliciano, CB Yiadom, LB Campbell. Wouldn't want them at market price.
RE: 2025 49ers -
BostonCard - 03-01-2025
Quote:They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-01-2025
(03-01-2025, 05:33 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Quote:They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
RE: 2025 49ers -
French Rage - 03-01-2025
As a Commanders fan I love this. Legit #2 to free up Scary Terry some more. Got rid of Dotson for a 3rd, got Deebo for a 5th. Is this what it's like to not have terminally shitty ownership? It's been like 25 years so I can't remember.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Giants - 03-01-2025
(03-01-2025, 08:44 PM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 05:33 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Quote:They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-02-2025
(03-01-2025, 11:14 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-01-2025, 08:44 PM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 05:33 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Quote:They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
Understood. Curious to see other moves that the Niners do with their 24 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and seven exclusive-rights free agents. Glad the salary cap increased more than expected.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Giants - 03-02-2025
(03-02-2025, 09:21 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 11:14 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-01-2025, 08:44 PM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 05:33 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Quote:They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
Understood. Curious to see other moves that the Niners do with their 24 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and seven exclusive-rights free agents. Glad the salary cap increased more than expected.
Time to do John Lynch’s job….
Would you trade Purdy to TN for the #1 overall pick?
Would you trade Aiyuk to Chicago for the #10 overall pick?
How about doing both?
I would make both deals and select Hunter and a QB with the 1 and 10 respectively. Add in the best lineman available at #11 and it would be a pretty good haul. Also, this would create cap space to sign additional help on both sides of the ball.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-03-2025
(03-02-2025, 10:08 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-02-2025, 09:21 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 11:14 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-01-2025, 08:44 PM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 05:33 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Your wish has been granted. Apparently Niners are trading Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth round pick. Deal can’t be executed until the new league year kicks off on March 12.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44071829/49ers-deal-deebo-samuel-commanders-sources-say
BC
49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
Understood. Curious to see other moves that the Niners do with their 24 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and seven exclusive-rights free agents. Glad the salary cap increased more than expected.
Time to do John Lynch’s job….
Would you trade Purdy to TN for the #1 overall pick?
Would you trade Aiyuk to Chicago for the #10 overall pick?
How about doing both?
I would make both deals and select Hunter and a QB with the 1 and 10 respectively. Add in the best lineman available at #11 and it would be a pretty good haul. Also, this would create cap space to sign additional help on both sides of the ball.
Probably the first, definitely the second.
lex24 -
lex24 - 03-03-2025
(03-03-2025, 12:10 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-02-2025, 10:08 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-02-2025, 09:21 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 11:14 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-01-2025, 08:44 PM)Mick Wrote: 49ers absorbing a $31.02 million cap hit. Ouch. The team will lose about $15.2 million in cap room this year with the trade but they will save $17.55 million in salary.
The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
Understood. Curious to see other moves that the Niners do with their 24 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and seven exclusive-rights free agents. Glad the salary cap increased more than expected.
Time to do John Lynch’s job….
Would you trade Purdy to TN for the #1 overall pick?
Would you trade Aiyuk to Chicago for the #10 overall pick?
How about doing both?
I would make both deals and select Hunter and a QB with the 1 and 10 respectively. Add in the best lineman available at #11 and it would be a pretty good haul. Also, this would create cap space to sign additional help on both sides of the ball.
Probably the first, definitely the second.
Ayuck for no 10 is a no-brainer. And if I were Chicago’s owner, if they did that deal, I’d fire the GM on the spot. No way that gets done.
Purdy for number 1 is tougher. Personally, I highly doubt Tennessee would do it. But if they would – I’d pull the trigger on that; and then I’d go sign Sam Darnold immediately.
RE: lex24 -
Mick - 03-04-2025
(03-03-2025, 05:20 PM)lex24 Wrote: (03-03-2025, 12:10 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-02-2025, 10:08 PM)Giants Wrote: (03-02-2025, 09:21 AM)Mick Wrote: (03-01-2025, 11:14 PM)Giants Wrote: The cap hit is mitigated by Purdy being under a minimal contract for one more season. It was wise to dump Samuel now while they could afford the hit. 2026 is when the crunch hits.
Understood. Curious to see other moves that the Niners do with their 24 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and seven exclusive-rights free agents. Glad the salary cap increased more than expected.
Time to do John Lynch’s job….
Would you trade Purdy to TN for the #1 overall pick?
Would you trade Aiyuk to Chicago for the #10 overall pick?
How about doing both?
I would make both deals and select Hunter and a QB with the 1 and 10 respectively. Add in the best lineman available at #11 and it would be a pretty good haul. Also, this would create cap space to sign additional help on both sides of the ball.
Probably the first, definitely the second.
Ayuck for no 10 is a no-brainer. And if I were Chicago’s owner, if they did that deal, I’d fire the GM on the spot. No way that gets done.
Purdy for number 1 is tougher. Personally, I highly doubt Tennessee would do it. But if they would – I’d pull the trigger on that; and then I’d go sign Sam Darnold immediately.
The day before Deebo was traded for a 5th round pick, ESPN guesstimated that he would bring a 4th
and a 5th round pick. I could see a healthy Aiyuk for the #10 overall pick, sure. After ACL? Maybe...
maybe...a third round pick.
I would do the Purdy trade. I think Purdy's a terrific quarterback when he's surrounded by a healthy Kittle, McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Deebo, Jauan, etc. with a healthy Trent Williams. Maybe Tennessee would prefer a proven Brock Purdy over Cam Ward. Pros and cons to each.
If I were the Niners seeking a backup QB, I'd look closely at Mac Jones, two years, $5 million. Worth it, I think.
RE: 2025 49ers -
GK3 - 03-04-2025
(02-16-2025, 01:10 PM)Mick Wrote: ESPN does not project that the 49ers are one of the top five NFC candidate teams for the 2026 Super Bowl, though vegas odds typically have them in the 3rd to 5th slot in the NFC.
Three major coaching additions:
1) Robert Saleh is returning to improve the 27th ranked defense (by points allowed) or 8th ranked defense (by yards allowed).
2) Brant Boyer, fresh off of nine years' worth of special teams coaching at New York Jets, has been hired to turn around special teams.
3) The 49ers have hired a DB coach for the first time since 2020, Ray Brown of Boston College who coached BC to the ACC's interception lead last year.
Some thoughts on 2024 and needed improvement in 2025:
Defense- In 2024, the 49ers gave up 436 points, worst since 2016 and 27th best in the NFL.
- The season before, they were third in points given up, the season before that they were 1st, ranked top in the NFL.
- So Wilks only took us down to third, Sorenson dropped us to 27th.
- Odd, fun fact: in terms of yards allowed, the 49ers were 8th in both 2024 and 2023, per Pro Football Reference.
- Why the difference? First, turnover ratio. 49ers were -10 for the year, 25th in the league. The year before, they were +10, tied for 5th in the league and only two behind the Ravens and Giants, league leaders.
- Second issue was special teams...
Special teams rankings- The Good: In 2024, the 49ers ranked 7th in punt returns.
- The Bad: they ranked 11th in extra points, 11th in kickoff returns, 26th in extra points given up (function of defense allowing so many TDs)
- The Ugly. Lots. This was a terrible special teams season:
- 10th in opponent field goal attempts but 19th in field goals made.
- 21st in opponent punts, 20th in opponent return yards, 22nd in opponent kick returns, 23rd in opponent kickoff return yards
- 27th in field goal percentage made
- 29th in punting average
- 32nd in net punting average, dead last.
Offense- Shanahan, BTW, still has the offensive magic.
- The 49ers were ranked 4th in yards gained on offense (but only 13th in points, hence the 6-11 record)
- In 2023 they were 3rd in points scored and 2nd in yards (with CMC and Aiyuk and Kittle and Deebo).
- In 2022, similar results with 6th in yards and 5th in points.
- Bad red zone success this year, but then we lacked an LT for half the year, Aiyuk for most of the year, CMC for all of the year and Deebo was ineffective. Result was 3rd in NFL in field goal attempts, but 10th in field goals made.
Solutions
- New special teams coach Boyer, DB Coach Brown and DC Saleh had better be awesome throughout the season. The 49ers lost 20 net turnovers between 2023 and 2024. 49ers had the NFL’s most INTs in 2022 (20) and 2023 (22) before falling to T15 in 2024 with 11.
- Either Moody (high ankle sprain) and Wishnowsky (lower back) are over their injuries, or they have to go. Both were actually very effective pre-injury.
- CMC has to come back strong.
- They need to get rid of Deebo. He avoided contact all year until the very end, for some reason.
- Juczszyk is very important to their offense and his skills have been declining. Hopefully he comes back strong or they get another good fullback.
- Dre Greenlaw needs to come back strong.
- Either Hufanga comes back strong or get rid of him.
- Sign Purdy.
- Nail the draft. They have nine picks, four in the Top 100. They have all their regular picks except a fifth rounder and they have compensatory picks after the 3rd, 5th and 7th rounds. Depending on free agents, and in my order of preference, they need multiple DLs, multiple OLs, multiple LBs, at least one DB, probably one WR, possibly one RB and possibly a TE. If a talented QB slips to 5th round or worse, they might take him.
- The 49ers have 34 pending free agents, six are restricted (TE Tonges, DE Okuayinonu, TE Willis, LB Graham, DT Anderson, OT Pleasants). They will likely re-sign all six. The other 28 can go anywhere. My thoughts:
- Keep: LB Robinson and Stanford alum (their one good special teams player), RB Mason, LB Greenlaw, CB Ward
- On the fence: S Hufanga, RB Mitchell, OL Moore, OL Bartch, S Gipson, WR Conley, DT Davis, OG Banks, LB Flannigan-Fowles, DT Givens, QB Allen, QB Dobbs. Sign them if it's a workable number.
- Lose: DT Hargrave, OL Hennessy, RB Taylor, CB McCloud, OT Heck, CB Ya-Sin, P O’Donnell (unless Wishnowsky is injury-free), TE Saubert, OL Feliciano, CB Yiadom, LB Campbell. Wouldn't want them at market price.
I just don't follow pro football or the 49'rs like I used. What stands out to me in your post is the special teams situation. It appears the kicking game really, really sucked. Hiring a new special teams coach doesn't help much if the kickers are what they appear to be. What are the chances of getting better talent at punter and FG kicking. If you get in FG range you need someone who can make the kicks and you absolutely have to have punters who put the other guys deep on their end of the field. It seems to me fixing those two things would help the team a lot, but fixing them probably isn't easy or cheap.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-04-2025
(03-04-2025, 08:24 AM)GK3 Wrote: I just don't follow pro football or the 49'rs like I used. What stands out to me in your post is the special teams situation. It appears the kicking game really, really sucked. Hiring a new special teams coach doesn't help much if the kickers are what they appear to be. What are the chances of getting better talent at punter and FG kicking. If you get in FG range you need someone who can make the kicks and you absolutely have to have punters who put the other guys deep on their end of the field. It seems to me fixing those two things would help the team a lot, but fixing them probably isn't easy or cheap.
I think the challenge with the kicking is that Moody had a high ankle sprain in the first half of the Cardinals game in week 5 last year. He was a perfect 12/12 on extra points and 13 of 14 on field goals at that point. He missed three weeks, then was ineffective when he returned, going 12 of 22 on field goals and missing an extra point. He had an 82% touchback rate until he got hurt, then dropped to 65%.
I think he needs training camp competition, but I fully expect him to get the job.
Wishnowsky's a different story. He had a back injury that started in training camp, flared up throughout the year but he didn't go on IR until week 11. They brought in Pat O'Donnell to punt. O'Donnell's just a year older than Wishnowsky (32), and he had three yards net better punting that Wishnowsky (39.3 vs. 36.3), though Wishnowsky put 50% of his punts inside the 20, and O'Donnell had just 33.3% inside the 20. Both are terrible, by the way, and finished 29th of 30 NFL teams.
Pretty good draft for punters, BTW. There's five punters projected to be NFL punters, at a minimum; including Burnip (Alabama), Elzinga (Oklahoma), Mastromanno (Fla. St.), Crawshaw (Florida), and Kroeger (South Carolina)
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-10-2025
49ers roster is going to look a lot different this year. They will likely lose 25 or more of the 41 players who appeared in at least 275 snaps last year.
To date, they have lost:
Charvarius Ward (Colts, $35 mms. guaranteed, will go up to $60 mms. with incentives)
Aaron Banks (Green Bay, $77 mms.)
Maliek Collins (attempting to trade, will release if they can't)
Joshua Dobbs (New England)
Dre Greenlaw (Denver, $35 mms.)
Javon Hargrave (post-June 1 release)
Talanoa Hufanga (Denver, $45 mms.)
Kyle Jusczyzk / released, 49ers will have a $3.6 mms. dead cap hit
Elijah Mitchell (Chiefs)
Jaylon Moore (Chiefs, $30 mms.)
Deebo Samuel (trade to Washington)
They signed a blocking tight end named Farrell, and they kept DL Kevin Givens and RB Patrick Taylor on small deals.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Giants - 03-10-2025
I am happy that SF decided to bite the bullet. It is time to turn the roster over and bring in some youth. This run was over after a disastrous ‘24 season. Let the next run begin.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-11-2025
(03-10-2025, 10:17 PM)Giants Wrote: I am happy that SF decided to bite the bullet. It is time to turn the roster over and bring in some youth. This run was over after a disastrous ‘24 season. Let the next run begin.
You're absolutely right, it was time. No one likes to spend $335 million for a 6-11 record. And while we're on that topic, I hope they trade Aiyuk.
This year is going to test their draft abilities. Niners have (currently) 12 draft picks including compensatories. Eight of the 12 are in the first 150 selections, four are in the top 100. Hoping for a 1986-style draft, which included starters Steve Wallace, Larry Roberts, Tom Rathman, Tim McKyer, Charles Haley and Don Griffin. All except Roberts started at least 100 NFL games.
First Round - Pick No. 11
Second Round - Pick No. 43
Third Round - Pick No. 75
Third Round - Pick No. 99 (Projected compensatory selection)
Fourth Round - Pick No. 112
Fourth Round - Pick No. 138 (Projected compensatory selection)
Fourth Round - Pick No. 139 (Projected compensatory selection)
Fifth Round - Pick No. 148 (From Washington)
Sixth Round - Pick No. 189
Seventh Round - Pick No. 228 (From Carolina)
Seventh Round - Pick No. 232 (From Arizona)
Seventh Round - Pick No. 255 (Projected compensatory selection)
RE: 2025 49ers -
BobK - 03-12-2025
Better not trade Aiyuk. Hate to see WRs named Mick and Bob K
Plus his JC coach is the dad of one of my grandson’s best friends :)
Some of those gone didn’t play last year or hardly played due to injuries
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-12-2025
the latest clickbait to bait me into a click:
6 Biggest Losers Left Scrambling After NFL Free Agency Day 2
SF was one of the Six Biggest Losers. 12 free agents, out the door.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Giants - 03-12-2025
Mick dateline='[url=tel:1741808755' Wrote: 1741808755[/url]']
the latest clickbait to bait me into a click:
6 Biggest Losers Left Scrambling After NFL Free Agency Day 2
SF was one of the Six Biggest Losers. 12 free agents, out the door.
To the contrary, they are a winner.
1. They weren’t going to win the Super Bowl with the group they had
2. Dumping guys that weren’t going to help them achieve that goal puts them on track to immediately develop a team that can win a championship.
3. The decks are now clear to, once again, start the quest for #6.
The way the NFL is structured, teams have a window to win it all. Once the window starts closing, the best teams quickly pivot to creating a new window. The crappy ones keep trying to prop the window open.
As Bill Walsh once said (paraphrasing), “It is better to let a guy go one year too early than one year too late”.
RE: 2025 49ers -
gocard14 - 03-12-2025
(03-12-2025, 01:26 PM)Giants Wrote: Mick dateline='[url=tel:1741808755' Wrote: 1741808755[/url]']
the latest clickbait to bait me into a click:
6 Biggest Losers Left Scrambling After NFL Free Agency Day 2
SF was one of the Six Biggest Losers. 12 free agents, out the door.
To the contrary, they are a winner.
1. They weren’t going to win the Super Bowl with the group they had
2. Dumping guys that weren’t going to help them achieve that goal puts them on track to immediately develop a team that can win a championship.
3. The decks are now clear to, once again, start the quest for #6.
The way the NFL is structured, teams have a window to win it all. Once the window starts closing, the best teams quickly pivot to creating a new window. The crappy ones keep trying to prop the window open.
As Bill Walsh once said (paraphrasing), “It is better to let a guy go one year too early than one year too late”.
Agreed. The Niners were getting too old, too expensive to spend big on free agents. Teams like the Ravens and Chiefs have shown that to sustain success, you need to be ruthless about casting off older, non-elite talent, and keep infusing with youth and cost control through the draft.
As a general rule, early free agency contracts are overpays. Yes the cap is going up, but guys like Banks and Moore are below average players, being paid like above average talent. Huff was always overrated due to the splash play factor, but was weak in coverage, and Greenlaw is very good, but may or may not get back to that level. For a linebacker losing a step can take one from elite to mediocre. That's not how you build for long term success.
You draft your core, you supplement with undervalued parts at the free-agency aisle (see ward's first contract), and pounce when you get the opportunity to add elite talent at the right price like we did with CMC and Trent. To that end, I like the Demarcus Robinson signing as a solid WR2-WR3 for WR4 money.
I am cautiously optimistic that coaching and special teams improvements, combined with some reversion to the mean on injury and red zone luck, will lead to a successful season.
RE: 2025 49ers -
Mick - 03-12-2025
Totally agree. Every guy they lost from last year's 6-11 team was too old, too slow, too hurt, too expensive. Good riddance.
I wonder what the odds are that they trade Brock Purdy before draft day?