49ers Free Agency Day 4: What to Do with $18 Million?

Assuming the Niners do not trade up their first-round pick, you can pencil in about $4-5 million needed to lock up draft picks as well any undrafted free agents that might make the team.

For argument’s sake, we’ll say that leaves $13 million left in cap space; hardly enough to make a power play on Peyton Manning.

In order to re-sign Alex Smith, because let’s face it, he’s not going anywhere, would probably be in the $6-8 million range and in a back-loaded deal, we’ll go with $6 million.

So the question now becomes: What to do with $7 million?

Anyone left with the delusions of Mike Wallace coming to San Francisco can clearly see why this is not possible.

Sure, you can factor in the money saved from signing a late first-round pick and there’s always money to be found in restructuring contracts and roster cuts, but if the Niners were really going to break the bank and get Wallace his $11 million deal, that would be it for the 49ers in free agency.

It would mean drafting a rookie to start immediately at right guard which, to get a player of that caliber, would require trading up in the draft at a huge cost.

This simply is not the 49er way under the Harbaugh-Baalke regime.

So the question again becomes: What to do with $7 million?

While the front office was able to return all 11 starters on a top-tier defense, an already lackluster offensive unit is left with some glaring holes.

As mentioned earlier, these are at starting right guard and another wide receiver, to add depth and a contingency plan should the Randy Moss experiment fail.

With all the big money that has been thrown around at second-tier talent in the wide receiver free agency pool, guys like Mario Manningham and Brandon Lloyd will probably be licking their chops for a deal that averages about $6 million per year.

The 49ers already let Josh Morgan walk for that kind of money.

Although the 49ers can feasibly afford that, it would still leave them in the same scenario as before: Relying on the draft for a starting right guard.

The solution is so simple.

It’s what Niners fans have had in the back of their minds since the combine: Sign a veteran guard (or tackle Anthony Davis could return to his natural guard position) and draft a wide receiver.

I’d be lying if I said my hopes were not to sign Ben Grubbs over some of the stop-gaps that the Niners have been interviewing, but with the money saved they were able to keep Ahmad Brooks and Carlos Rogers.

Right now, it seems like Geoff Schwartz and Leonard Davis are the front runners to fill this void.

My sentiments over this year’s wide receiver draft class are well documented, but with the situation the 49ers are in, it might actually work out for them. Having the mindset that your receiver will come from the draft, and not free agency, affords the flexibility to wait for pro days and get a better gauge on players like Alshon Jeffery.

The game of musical chairs the NFL just played with their wide receivers has filled many teams' needs and, with any luck, the 49ers could see Michael Floyd or Alshon Jeffery fall to them, or at least close enough to trade up to.