49ers' Early Report Card for Most Impactful Offseason Decisions

The San Francisco 49ers made one of the biggest defensive free-agent signings in the NFL when they landed Javon Hargrave on a four-year, $84 million deal to shore up the interior around Nick Bosa.

Hargrave was the highest-profile signing made by the franchise in the first week of free agency.

The rest of the moves made by general manager John Lynch have been practical, including the addition of quarterback Sam Darnold on a one-year deal.

San Francisco faces some uncertainty on the injury front at quarterback, with Trey Lance working his way back from an ankle injury and Brock Purdy coming back from a UCL issue.

The signing of Darnold could go down as one of the smarter one-year deals across the league if the 49ers need an experienced signal-caller to step in at any point in 2023.

Not everything went right for San Francisco in the last week, as it lost a few key free agents, but the good news is most went to AFC teams and will not directly affect the 49ers in head-to-head contests over the next few seasons.

Javon Hargrave

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 30: Javon Hargrave #97 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a sack in the second quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on October 30, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

San Francisco's one big free-agent splash could pay all sorts of dividends on the defensive interior.

Javon Hargrave is coming off a career-high 11-sack season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he has had 18.5 sacks in the last two seasons.

In 2022, the 49ers lacked a defensive tackle to complement Nick Bosa, who led the team 18.5 sacks while the three other players with more than three sacks were defensive ends.

Hargrave adds another element to San Francisco's defensive line. He can get to the quarterback and stuff the run. He had 34 QB hits and 19 tackles for loss in the last two seasons.

The 30-year-old is at the peak of his powers as a defensive tackle, and he could take some attention away from Bosa when the 49ers rush the quarterback.

His signing gives San Francisco an abundance of stars in all three layers of defense. Bosa and Hargrave lead the defensive line, Fred Warner is the head of the linebacker room, and Talanoa Hufanga is one of the best safeties in the NFL.

The 49ers lost some depth pieces on defense in free agency, but they got better when it comes to top-end talent with the Hargrave signing.

Grade: A

Sam Darnold

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 08: Sam Darnold #14 of the Carolina Panthers throws the ball during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on January 08, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Sam Darnold is purely an insurance policy for Trey Lance and Brock Purdy.

This was a smart one-year deal handed out by the team given the recent injury luck that struck the quarterback position last season.

Lance, 22, is still an unknown quantity because he got hurt early in his run with the starting role in 2022.

Purdy filled in admirably at the back end of the campaign, but a return from a UCL injury can take time. The 23-year-old needs to regain all of his arm strength to be as effective as he was in his rookie campaign.

Darnold has struggled over the last three seasons with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. He failed to throw 10 touchdowns in any of those campaigns.

The move to Carolina turned out to be a major disappointment for the 2018 No. 3 overall pick, but he has made a smart move by joining the 49ers.

The 25-year-old gets to play closer to home and will learn under Kyle Shanahan, who has had success with a wide range of NFL quarterbacks.

Darnold has made the right move in an attempt to earn some playing time, and the 49ers were smart to go into the pre-draft process with a full QB room, so it did not have to rely solely on Lance and Purdy.

Grade: B+

Jake Brendel

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SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 08: San Francisco 49ers center Jake Brendel (64) points out a shift in the line before the snap during the Week 18 game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The 49ers retained Jake Brendel on a four-year, $16.5 million deal.

The re-signing of the offensive lineman provides stability for the team at center, and that means it only has to replace one starting spot on the offensive line.

San Francisco expected to lose Mike McGlinchey to a larger offer elsewhere in free agency, and he ended up signing a five-year, $87 million deal with the Denver Broncos.

The 49ers have four starters returning on the offensive line after re-upping with Brendel, and they have a clear focus on what part of that positional group needs an upgrade.

They can look to the 2023 NFL draft to land their right tackle of the future at an inexpensive cost, or a veteran at the position might be brought in on a cheap deal as well to provide cover.

Keeping Brendel was ideal for consistency on the offensive line, and it should help Lance and Purdy gain a little more confidence in Shanahan's system during training camp.

Grade: B