Free Agent Preview
We won’t be signing any of these guys but the graphic looked cool
With the Niners moving on from Hargrave and Deebo and the (annual?) re-appearance of Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors, there’s been some internet consternation on whether or not the Niners are trying to cut salary and reassess their big-spending ways. The incoming Brock Purdy deal will tell us a lot, but I wouldn’t worry about an NBA-style belt tightening quite yet. This seems more like the natural flow of going all-in on a Super Bowl window with a good QB on a rookie deal and then having to fix the books once he starts to get paid.
On a case-by-case basis, Hargrave simply wasn’t worth his contract, a 2025 Deebo departure was something that was penciled in as a possibility as far back as 2022, and—while an Aiyuk trade could theoretically materialize for the right price—I doubt we get that price after his worst season in the NFL was cut short by a major knee injury. No sense getting into the nitty gritty of Aiyuk’s contract during a free agency write-up, but if Aiyuk is getting moved it’s more likely to happen in 2026—when his would-be dead cap hit plummets and he either has or has not regained his trade value.
Aiyuk is an important figure in all this because I think his contract negotiations last year were as annoying for the front office as they were for us as fans. I think the Niners were ready to ship him out for a 2nd and 3rd-round pick but folded last second because we felt we had to be all-in while on Purdy’s rookie deal. And I think his final price tag—which came in higher than most of us expected it would—was the cherry on top for an off-season in which the Niners extended three players to lucrative deals and effectively lost all three of those negotiations. Injuries are a part of the game, and you wanna spend good money on good players. But losing negotiations isn’t the way to win games long-term, and I think the Niners have felt that. Deebo and Hargrave were just not worth their contracts. Now they’re out. Aiyuk—so far—hasn’t been worth his. So now he’s put on notice. All this to say, I don’t think we’re seeing a philosophical shift toward the “acceptable mediocrity” that so many mid-market NBA teams seem to pursue. But I do think the front office is rightfully—and intelligently—trying to keep us in contention as we move out of the all-in stage. And to do that, we need a financially sustainable blueprint.
So what does that look like? I still think we’ll be active in free agency but with a greater lean on quality investments on mid-tier and upside plays and less big game hunting. Think of this as an off-season where we get younger and balance the books. 11 draft picks will help on the youth front. While pragmatic spending in free agency will go a long way toward making sure we’re a perennial contender and not just a team that pushed its chips in while we had a QB on a rookie deal. Teams in the NFL can continue to spend and contend as long as they’re constantly bringing in talented rookies. If we knock this draft out of the park like last year, we could be back to big spending in no time. But for now, think of this off-season as a recalibration as we figure out what that looks like while building around Purdy.
A few bullet points before we get into the giant block of potential free agents.
I grouped players into general clusters of Bidding War, Multiple Suitors, Bargain Buys, and Deep Dives. Those clusters are based more on what I expect their market to be versus how good a player/fit they may be. Their listed order is just last name alphabetical.
I think we add a RB and TE this off-season, but I think it’ll be in the draft. So I didn’t include either position.
After initial cuts are made, there could be a lot of veteran wideouts available this off-season. I only included a few because those cuts are currently speculative and because I think–overall–our approach to the receiver room will be developing youth versus spending on big veteran deals.
PFF is far from perfect but I’ll be referencing their grades a lot because even I can’t watch THAT much football
I asterisked(*) guys in each category who feel like particularly good/intriguing fits
BIDDING WAR
*C, Drew Dalman, Falcons: For the past two years, Dalman’s been one of PFF’s top 5 centers, and while his pass protection could use some work, he’s widely regarded as one of the best run blockers at the position–especially in the stretch scheme that we employ. While there are viable center prospects in this draft, it’s hard to imagine Shanahan starting a rookie at the position, so our best chance to upgrade Brendel may have to come in free agency. Even if he wouldn’t shore up all our pass pro issues, Dalman’s fit seems ideal, but the demand for his services will be substantial. Thus, the cost could prove untenable.
That said, this is probably the one guy in this tier I’d say we have a decent chance of acquiring if we pursue him–mainly due to the appeal of playing under Shanahan and the fact that even top-market centers don’t get paid much compared to other positions. It is worth noting that ankle injuries have limited him in the past two years—including a stint on the IR in 2024. After getting burned by Weston Richburg’s health (or lack thereof), the medical checks would have to come back clean.
DE, Malcolm Koonce, Raiders: Koonce seemed poised for a contract year breakout after registering a top 25 PFF grade alongside 8 sacks and 17 QB hits a year ago, but a knee injury during practice forced him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. If his medicals are right, he could wind up quite the steal. But we won’t be the only ones thinking of that.
DE, Khalil Mack, Chargers: While he turns 34 this week, Mack is still a beast on the edge, finishing 6th and 5th in PFF’s edge rusher ratings the past two seasons while accumulating 23 sacks and 37 QB hits. While his 2023 raw numbers had a bit of fool’s gold in them–17 sacks on 22 QB hits is not sustainable–he was a genuine two-way player over that span and he could be seen as the “missing piece” to a defense the same way an aging Von Miller was courted by the Rams (2021) and Bills (2022).
But determining a potential price tag is complicated. Miller was a year and a half younger than Mack is now when he put up 9 sacks (4 in the playoffs) over 12 games while helping lead the Rams to a Super Bowl. He then signed a monstrous 6-yr/$120M deal with the Bills. Mack’s age and lesser recent production (only 6 sacks in 2024) likely won’t net him that kind of contract, but–in today’s cap–a shorter deal worth over $20M/yr still seems plausible. That’s not outrageous, but it’s a steep price to pay for a 34-year-old when we’re trying to get younger and more cost-controlled. It’s possible–and I do think Mack would be a sizeable upgrade over Leonard Floyd–but it feels like his market may explode when contender cuspy teams like the Commanders start entering the bidding.
CB, DJ Reed, Jets: The one that got away. The fit and familiarity are undeniable, but Reed could wind up the highest-paid corner in this class, making a reunion highly unlikely.
*DT, Milton Williams, Eagles: Looking for a Javon Hargrave replacement? Why not the exact same dude but two years younger? A bit off the nationwide radar as part of a deep DL rotation, Williams dominated the Super Bowl, and he’ll get paid accordingly. Great fit, but his performance on the national stage may have priced him out of our range, and there are concerns with his run defense and the fact that he topped out at only 10 QB hits this season (albeit as part of a deep rotation). At a lower expected price tag, I wouldn’t care about those hesitations. But if he starts approaching $20M/yr territory, they’re at least worth mentioning.
MULTIPLE SUITORS
OL, Mekhi Becton, Eagles: He’s up here due to upside, positional value, and the absolute dearth of tackle options in free agency. But there are more questions with Becton than most guys in this tier. A former first-round pick by the Jets who–for a few games–looked like a Pro Bowl fixture at left tackle, Becton’s career was absolutely ravaged by injuries. After finishing out his rookie deal, he signed a one-year pact with the Eagles where he started at guard and played mostly every game. The injury concerns are scary. And he was more a cog in the machine than a superstar along the Eagles’ loaded offensive line. He’s a big swing, and–personally–I’d rather draft a dude. But at least Saleh can vouch for his character from their time in NY.
WR, Amari Cooper, Bills: Cooper was a nonfactor after he got traded to the Bills, which is not a great look given the Bills’ receiver room. He’ll turn 31 before next season, he’s lost a step, and there’s a chance he’s just washed. But it was also a poor fit. The Bills’ offense is about horizontal and vertical stretches, giving up well-rounded ability for guys who can out-leverage defenders on shoot routes, crossers, and deep balls. This lets them take advantage of Josh Allen’s ability to put the ball anywhere at any time and–when the defense stretches itself thin enough to cover all these guys–rely on his size and speed to power the ball up the middle himself.
If Cooper has starter-level play left, he’d have a better chance of showing it in a scheme like ours, where he could use his high-level route-running skills and intermediate ability (he’s scored no worse than 91.7 on routes run 10-19 yards downfield for all ten years of his NFL career) to get open on drifts and sit routes. His short-area play has been up-and-down at times (last year = down) and drops will always be an issue. Also, I’m hesitant to add any wideout who could potentially block Ricky Pearsall’s development. But if we’re looking for someone to start early in the season and then step back into a lesser role once Aiyuk is fully healthy, Cooper could be a good fit. But–like Becton above–I would only be interested if his price point slipped down into the tier below.
CB, Mike Hilton, Bengals: Most Cincinnati fans would probably describe Hilton as a player on the decline, but the long-time elite nickel corner finished the season strong in an effort to prove that he’s still got some tread left on his tires. Long one of the league’s better nickel corners, Hilton was PFF’s 15th-best corner in this down year. If we think he’s still got some run in him and want a veteran presence (at a cheapish price), we could do worse.
CB, Nate Hobbs, Raiders: Another nickel candidate, Hobbs was a stud manning the slot as a rookie, finishing the 2021 season as PFF’s #5 corner. But 2021 was a long time ago, especially given the lengthy string of injuries he’s faced in the past three years. Given his outside corner-like size (6-1 195 lbs.), he can mix it up in the run game and as a blitzer, but injuries are a lingering concern.
OG, Teven Jenkins, Bears: Jenkins has been a PFF Top 20 guard in each of the past three years—peaking at OG3 back in 2022—but availability has been an issue. While young and talented, he’s never played more than 14 games in a single season. That’s tolerable for some positions but can be quite difficult along the OL because linemen never come off the field and so few teams have viable backups. But at the right price? Certainly intriguing.
*DT, Osa Odighizuwa, Cowboys: In four years of (mostly) starting, Osa peaked at 4.5 sacks this season, but the underlying numbers point to much greater potential. His PFF scores are regularly strong, his 23 QB hits this season project closer to double-digit sacks, and–while the breakout hasn’t happened–his athletic traits and flashes fit our scheme like a glove. Like any free agent Cowboy defensive lineman, there’s work to be done against the run, but perhaps Dallas’ down year defensively can help us secure a dude on a multi-year deal who’s on the cusp of a breakthrough.
UPDATE = SIGNED 4-YR EXTENSION WITH COWBOYS
DT, Levi Onwuzurike, Lions: One of the last men standing on Detroit’s injury-ravaged defensive line, Onwuzurike’s 12.5% pass rush win rate this season was top 15 among DTs despite constantly dwindling talent around him. Somewhat ironically, injuries are a bit of a concern in his scouting report–having missed the entire 2022 season due to his back–but with Alim McNeil just extended at the same position, there’s a chance Levi hits the open market as an underrated gem.
*LB, Jamien Sherwood, Jets: At a listed 216 pounds, Sherwood is a large lunch bigger than most safeties, which makes some sense because he played that position in college. But his lack of size didn’t stop him from putting up career numbers after breaking into the starting lineup this season. Our affinity for converted safeties and the linebacker position is well known, and if Greenlaw departs, a plug-and-play starter is necessary. Besides, Saleh will know him better than anyone.
You’ll note there are only two linebackers on this entire list. This is actually a pretty good crop of veteran linebackers, but—unfortunately for us—most are either long in the tooth (Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David) or bad scheme fits (Nick Bolton, Robert Spillane). This points to few starting options for our scheme and even fewer long-term replacements if Dre Greenlaw departs in free agency.
BARGAIN BUYS
CB, Paulson Adebo, Saints: The Niners love their Stanford guys, and Adebo–who was PFF’s 15th-best corner a year ago–could be had on the cheap after a broken femur derailed his ascension into free agency. With 7 picks and 28 pass deflections across his past 22 games, Adebo has some ballhawk in him. Given the injury–and recovery timeline–he feels destined for a one-year prove-it deal somewhere. If we don’t want to draft a starting corner or hang our hats on Darrell Luter’s development and health, kicking the can down the road a year isn’t a terrible idea.
DE, Derek Barnett, Texans: You may be surprised to hear that Barnett is still in the league. You may also be surprised to hear that he doesn’t turn 29 until after the draft. But the oldest 28-year-old in the NFL has quietly put together a pretty good two-season stretch with the Texans while manning the second unit behind their star defensive ends. He’s not a starter and his injury history is extensive, but he’s an established and reliable rotational player on the edge.
DE, Baron Browning, Cardinals: A trade deadline throwback, Browning made the move from hyper-athletic linebacker to freaky athletic defensive end back in 2022, and promptly posted a top 25 pressure rate over the next two years. But he’s been hampered by injuries ever since. There’s untapped potential here but also a lingering neck injury that requires HEAVY evaluation.
OG, James Daniels, Steelers: A consistent but unspectacular long-time starter, Daniels was playing easily the best football of his life before blowing out his Achilles in week 4. Seven years into his NFL career, it’s hard to say if Daniels’ September surge was a late-stage breakthrough or simply a product of variance that was destined to regress to the mean. But if he can recover from his injury, a 27-year-old multi-year starter at guard is worth something regardless.
DT, Poona Ford, Chargers: Ford had quite a run in Seattle but looked washed for two straight years before a 2024 resurgence (PFF DT5) under Jim Harbaugh and Mike Minter. He’s an undersized gap shooter with scheme experience (kind of) from his time with the Seahawks.
*DT, DJ Jones, Broncos: Our guy DJ never put it together as a pass rusher, failing to eclipse 4(!) QB hits in any given season, but his pass rush impact was always a notch better than his numbers would indicate, and he’s still a force against the run. He may not be the player he was when he left us three years ago, but he was always a better fit in our scheme than Denver’s. Given the need, a reunion seems possible.
LB, Eric Kendricks, Cowboys: Try again this year?
*DE, Dayo Odeyingbo, Colts: One of the best athletes in the 2021 draft class, Dayo went down to an Achilles injury in a pre-draft workout, which slowed his development. However, he’s peaking at the right time, playing in all 17 games each of the past three seasons and securing 17 QB hits in both of the past two—that’s more QB hits than any Non-Bosa Niner has registered since Arden Key in 2021. He’s young and could be poised for a breakout season, a combination that teams typically covet, so I’m a little surprised I haven’t heard more about him this off-season. Perhaps I’m vastly underestimating his market, but I’d happily take a swing on him—even at a price a tier above this one.
DE, Azeez Ojulari, Giants: Ojulari, who was also featured in my trade deadline writeup, is an interesting prospect. His athletic skills are excellent and his raw numbers–given limited snaps–are quite good, with six sacks this past year and 22 over his first four years in the league. But his advanced stats don’t back up those numbers, his size (240 pounds) is a question mark as a true edge, and you wonder why he never made more of an impact in New York. Cause, you know, they suck. This is a case where you gotta trust your scouting department and make sure the price is right, as he seems equally likely to break out or get buried on a depth chart on a multi-year deal.
DT, Jarran Reed, Seahawks: When we’re talking about still-talented but older guys whose value could get pushed down by a plethora of interior defenders in both free agency and the draft, we’re functionally talking about Jarran Reed. Long gone are the days when you’d hope he might crest double-digit sacks, but Reed has quietly put together 27 QB hits and 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons. There’s still some juice there.
CB, Asante Samuel Jr., Chargers: See: Adebo, Paulson. Another young corner with a lot of good tape whose serious injury concerns during a contract year could put him in the one-year prove-it deal market.
*WR, Darius Slayton, Giants: People often ask the importance of a fourth wideout–especially on a team that runs as much heavy personnel as we do. But in our offense–which spreads the ball around and rarely force-feeds our top receiver–the value comes in that fourth receiver’s ability to consistently beat the defense’s fourth-best cover guy.
Stuck in the passing purgatory known as the New York Giants, Slayton isn’t a No.1 receiver. He probably shouldn’t be a No.2 either. But he’s a slippery athlete with enough size, speed, and skill to secure a rotational role lining up at any number of receiver positions. In the past, that swing role has largely been played by one-dimensional older receivers like Chris Conley or Travis Benjamin and limited late-round picks like Ronnie Bell. Slayton would be a sizable upgrade over either of those archetypes, and he could serviceably play major snaps early in the season before falling into a more situational role once Aiyuk returns. The fact that his targets–however sparse they may be–could feasibly be thrown to all three levels, would be icing on the cake.
DE, Josh Uche, Chiefs: What an odd journey for Uche, a guy who had 11.5 sacks as a speed specialist in his third year in the league, only to get traded two years later and be a healthy scratch for the Chiefs through the back half of the season. Uche’s breakout year always had some flukiness to it (only 11.5 sacks on only 14 QB hits), but his speed and bend are real. Like Ojulari, you worry about his size (240 pounds) as a full-time edge and lack of regular playing time, but it’s hard to believe he can’t at least be a subpackage speedster somewhere in the league.
DEEP DIVES
DE, Dennis Gardeck, Cardinals: You ever watch the Cardinals (not by choice) and some white guy on defense with long hair makes a play? Gardeck is probably that white guy. A torn ACL midway through the year killed some of his free-agent momentum, but he’s a proven commodity along the defensive line. His lack of size and ideal athleticism may make for a tough fit in our scheme, but figured he was at least worth mentioning.
DT, Chauncey Golston, Cowboys: Adding a 268-pound defensive tackle who has been an absolute sieve against the run probably isn’t the best way to fix our floundering run defense, but the athletic profile is good and he’s shown flashes as a pass rusher. He just might be relegated to third-down work.
*S, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Lions: I don’t expect us to spend big on a free agent safety as that’s not really how our defense is built, but if we wanted a veteran presence to push Ji’Ayir Brown for snaps, we could do a lot worse than Melifonwu. The 26-year-old was PFF’s 8th-ranked safety during his breakout 2023 season but missed the first two months of this season with an ankle injury and struggled once he returned. There’s high-end potential here. It just comes with risk.
WR, Elijah Moore, Browns: The highly touted college speedster showed plenty of promise as a rookie but was quickly shipped out of New York due to attitude issues and never found his footing in Cleveland. While it would be easy to blame Cleveland’s overall dysfunction for his shortcomings, this is a guy who was top 10 in the league in pass snaps played this season but could only register 538 yards and 8.8 yards/catch. The issues that led to his ouster from New York could strike him from our list and the breakout seems less and less likely each passing year, but I’m sure there are plenty of teams who liked him as a draft prospect and are willing to roll the dice.
WR, Joshua Palmer, Chargers: The Chargers are severely lacking in offensive firepower but may be letting Palmer walk. That’s not an incredible testament to his ability. To be honest, I’ve never really been much of a fan but I do think part of that is due to him being miscast (by injuries) as a leading man. We can do better, but we can also do worse. And if we’re worried about not having enough weapons out wide while Aiyuk rehabs his knee, at least we know Palmer can start some games. Even if we’d prefer he didn’t.
DT, Tershawn Wharton, Chiefs: Another undersized pass rush specialist with some serious issues against the run, Wharton peaked in a contract year, posting 11 QB hits and 6.5 sacks rushing from the interior.
BEST GUESSES
How serious will the Niners be about addressing the offensive line this off-season? We may not know until the draft comes along, but adding Dalman would send quite the signal. I’m not saying it’s expected or even that it’s likely. But the fit makes a lot of sense.
Despite a strong crop of defensive linemen in this upcoming draft class, adding one or two veterans to the rotation won’t stop us from slamming the position group come draft time. I would expect us to do exactly that, adding a two-deep player on the edge and a run stopper on the interior before looking for more foundational pieces come draft time.
Defensive back and receiver seem like two other positions where we’ll add vets—even if those vets may be more depth pieces than starters. A reclamation project corner makes some sense given the team’s hopes for Luter. While a flexible receiver who can still contribute once Aiyuk returns would give us both depth and early-season offense.
Go Niners 🏈👍