San Francisco 49ers: Free Agents That Make Perfect Sense This Offseason

The San Francisco 49ers are not going to be among the big spenders in free agency. This is not the way general manager Trent Baalke has structured their roster, and it isn't in the way that they are going to be consistent contenders for a Super Bowl Championship.

Rather, they are going to build through the draft and supplement in free agency with key additions at need positions. This is what the 49ers did last offseason with a successful free agent signing period. Johnathan Goodwin, Carlos Rodgers and Donte Whitner, three key components to their success in 2011, cost a total of $26 million this season.

With that said, the 49ers do have a nice amount of money to play with this offseason and could make a splash with a top-tier player or two at needed positions. They do, however, have to worry about retaining the services of Alex Smith, Carlos Rogers and Dashon Goldson first.

This article is going to give you free agents that the San Francisco 49ers should target this offseason. These players fit what they are attempting to build in the locker room and on the field.

You will not see egocentric individuals like DeSean Jackson come to the bay. They just don't fit the mentality in the locker room or the philosophy of both Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke.

Brandon Carr, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

It looks like Carlos Rogers is standing firm on wanting a four- or five-year contract this offseason. The 49ers will definitely negotiate with the Pro Bowl corner, but they will not hand out a five-year deal to a corner that will be 31 during training camp. That just isn't going to happen. 

This means that San Francisco will look for contingency plans in free agency. The addition of Brandon Carr would first make them younger at the corner position. Secondly, it will give them a player that has started every game of his four-year career.

Is Carr an upgrade over Carlos Rogers? Not if you are looking at the 2011 version of Rogers. Still, he would provide them with the ability to look elsewhere in the draft and not have to dole out a long-term contract to player on the wrong side of 30.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts

It's amazing to think that this future Hall of Fame receiver still almost gained 1,000 yards with the trio of horrible signal-callers that took the field for the Indianapolis Colts on Sundays this season. Even at 33, Wayne has proven that he can get the job done and has a couple 1,000-yard seasons left in him.

This would be a cheaper alternative than going after one of the young, up-and-coming receivers on the free agent market. He would also provide Alex Smith some stability with a consistently good receiver on the outside.

The signing of a player like Wayne is something that teams on the verge of the Super Bowl do. Expect Trent Baalke and Co. to take a long look at him.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Probably the most ideal scenario for the San Francisco 49ers. Dwayne Bowe has put up some tremendous numbers with average quarterback play over the course of the last few seasons. He is a true red zone threat, something the 49ers are missing on the outside and attempted to solve with the signing of Braylon Edwards last offseason.

If San Francisco is going to dole out big bucks for any free agent position, it is going to be at wide receiver. That corps accumulated just one reception in the NFC Championship Game, which is a major reason they lost the game.

If this team wants to take the next step towards Super Bowl favorites, it needs to add a player of Bowe's caliber.

Carl Nicks, G, New Orleans Saints

Right guard is the only position along a stout San Francisco 49ers offensive line that may need an upgrade this season. Adam Snyder performed extremely well as a stop-gap, but doesn't figure to be much more than a valuable reserve at this point. In short, he can get it done if asked, but there are other options out there.

One of those options is Carl Nicks, one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. Nicks, a San Francisco native, will be turning 27 in May and is in the prime of his career.

Additionally, the Saints are going to have to focus on Drew Brees, if they don't come to terms on an extension before March, and Marques Colston in the free agent market. They also have Jahri Evans, another guard, who is set to make $42 million over the next five seasons.

Nicks should hit the free agent market and will want to take a look at the 49ers situation.

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints

A lot has been made about the possibility that Marques Colston is a product of the Saints pass-happy offense. I really don't see it that way. You don't have five 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in six seasons if you are a "product" of the system. If this were the case, the same thing could be said about Wes Welker and Calvin Johnson.

While not comparing Colston to those two, he would be a major upgrade for the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver group. This is a player that would give Alex Smith a dangerous threat on the outside who consistently gets separation at the line and gives you passing lanes on intermediate routes. He will probably request eight figures.

Mario Manningham, WR, New York Giants

Probably a cheaper alternative than either Colston or Bowe, the New York Giants receiver can be that possession receiver that the 49ers don't seem to have at this point. Of course, Michael Crabtree is "considered" that type of player, but hasn't been nearly consistent enough.

Manningham would immediately come in and be a starter opposite Crabtree. He would take some of the focus off of Vernon Davis between the hashes and spread out the 49ers offense. One thing is for sure—he won't be back with the New York Giants in 2012.

Cortland Finnegan, CB, Tennessee Titans

The possible interest in Cortland Finnegan would be as a No. 2 corner behind Carlos Rogers. He would not be brought in to replace the Pro Bowl corner. They are two talented, but extremely different players that would complement one another extremely well.

Finnegan is a type of player in the mold of a Bill Romanowksi and Hines Ward that you hate if he isn't on your team, but love once he is wearing your colors. With the 49ers' physical set of safeties—if Dashon Goldson returns—getting a player like Finnegan would scare the collective crap out of opposing defenses.

It's not like the 49ers defense wasn't the most physical in the NFL to begin with. Logistically speaking, he is a perfect fit for this defense.