San Francisco 49ers: Bargain Guide to the 2015 Offseason
The San Francisco 49ers are going to have to be frugal shoppers this offseason. The problem with having a bunch of solid veteran players is that it doesn’t leave you with a lot of room to bring in free agents to fix the holes you have on your roster.
The 49ers are currently over the expected 2015 salary cap, according to Over the Cap. That won’t be the case for very long, as there are a number of players the 49ers can cut, extend or restructure to get some cap relief moving forward.
Even in a best-case scenario, however, the 49ers can’t compete with teams like the Cincinnati Bengals or Indianapolis Colts—they’ll be best served by bargain-hunting and finding players who will come for less than a premium price.
One possible way to fill needs on a budget is to draft smartly. The 49ers got great production out of mid- and late-round picks like Chris Borland and Aaron Lynch last season, and sometimes you pick up a gem in the third round like NaVorro Bowman.
This is obviously the goal of every team. But for every Bowman, there’s a Marcus Lattimore—a talented player who never contributes at the NFL level. For that reason, budget-shopping for proven players in free agency is a safer strategy for filling immediate holes, and the draft is a better strategy for finding long-term contributors.
Here, then, is your budget-shopping guide for the 49ers’ offseason needs. They won’t be signing Dez Bryant or Jason Pierre-Paul, but there are some quality budget picks out there they could add as they try to return to the postseason.
Quarterback: Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans
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The 49ers need a couple of quarterbacks added to the roster in 2015 to back up Colin Kaepernick. They’ll likely take a rookie late in the draft, but they could also use a veteran to step in immediately if Kaepernick goes down with an injury.
The best budget candidate for a free-agent quarterback is Ryan Mallett, who isn’t exactly going to break the bank this offseason. After sitting behind Tom Brady for three seasons in New England, Mallett got his first chance to start in the NFL this season in Houston. In Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, Mallett looked sharp, going 20-of-30 for 211 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Mallett looked very solid, gaining confidence as the game went along and flashing great arm strength. If things had kept going on that way, he may have retained the Houston Texans’ starting job for the rest of the season.
However, in warm-ups before his next game, Mallett tore his pectoral muscle. He toughed it out to play against the Bengals, but he understandably looked horrible.
The lack of actual in-game experience should keep Mallett's contract value down, but he was coveted enough for the Texans to trade for him last offseason with no experience. If the Texans stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starter, Mallet will hit the market, and the 49ers would be unlikely to find a better, cheaper option as a backup to Kaepernick.
Running Back: Shane Vereen, New England Patriots
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If the 49ers can’t come to an agreement to keep Frank Gore at a reduced salary for 2015, they could be in the market for another weapon in the backfield along with Carlos Hyde and Kendall Hunter. Hyde flashed some interesting skills in limited play time, but having a proven player to split time with him would be a useful safety blanket.
I’m always a fan of having two different types of running backs in the backfield, which is why Shane Vereen is so tempting. Hyde is a straight-ahead, bruising type of runner, which is good, but he offers essentially nothing as a receiver out of the backfield, catching only 12 passes for 68 yards this season.
A great complement to him, then, would be Shane Vereen, who is terrible as an actual straight-ahead rusher but might be the best pass-catching back in football. Vereen had less than 100 carries for less than 400 yards this season, but he added 53 receptions for 447 yards as a weapon out of the backfield.
The 49ers haven’t had a screen passing game—or anything out of their running backs for that matter—in years. They never had a running back gain 250 yards receiving in the Jim Harbaugh-Greg Roman era. Perhaps new coordinator Geep Chryst will use running backs more in the passing game.
Vereen’s not fit to be a full-time, first-string running back; he simply does not provide enough on the ground. However, his time with the Patriots proves how valuable he can be as part of a rotation and as a weapon on passing downs. He won’t break the bank like a DeMarco Murray or Justin Forsett will, so he might end up being a solid budget option to improve San Francisco’s backfield.
Wide Receiver: Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
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The last time the 49ers found themselves in need of a receiver, they went and got themselves a star from the Baltimore Ravens. Might we see a repeat in 2015?
The 49ers will likely spend a first-round pick on a receiver, but they could use an immediate contributor alongside Anquan Boldin as well. To that extent, they could go and get Boldin’s ex-teammate, Torrey Smith.
Smith won’t break the bank in a free-agent class that includes the likes of Dez Bryant, Randall Cobb and Demaryius Thomas. He’s also never developed into the sort of receiver who will be able to beat top cornerbacks all day long.
What he is is an exceptional deep threat, which is something the 49ers have lacked. Since 2011, he has 20 receptions that have covered 30 or more yards in the air and has an average of 16.7 yards per catch, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. The 49ers were hurting for a deep threat in 2014, and Smith would give them the perimeter speed they’ve been lacking for many years.
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Tight End: Niles Paul, Washington Redskins
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With Vernon Davis severely struggling in 2014, the 49ers need to find a better option at tight end. However, all the long-term stud options are well out of San Francisco’s price range.
Therefore, assuming the 49ers do in fact move on from Davis in 2015, the best option would be a bit of a rotation. They have Vance McDonald on the roster already, but adding a veteran like Niles Paul would make a lot of sense.
Paul has started 17 games over his four-year NFL career, with this season being something of a coming-out party. He caught 39 passes for 507 yards, stepping in whenever Jordan Reed hit the sidelines. He’s ready for a larger role as a starter—a role he might be able to win if he were to head to San Francisco.
Reed’s not going to replace Davis as a blocker, which is why a platoon system makes sense. McDonald is a solid run-blocker but has shown little as a receiver. Paul is a former wide receiver but has shown little as a run-blocker. Together they can serve as a solid tight end platoon for less than Davis is scheduled to make.
Offensive Guard: Clint Boling, Cincinnati Bengals
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With Mike Iupati likely pricing himself out of San Francisco, the 49ers will need to make a decision at left guard. They have some in-house options, with 2014 pick Brandon Thomas, career backup Joe Looney and the loser of the Daniel Kilgore-Marcus Martin battle at center, but none of them has significant starting experience.
Clint Boling has started 47 games for the Cincinnati Bengals since he was drafted in 2011. He showed no ill-effects this last season from the torn ACL he suffered in 2013. He shouldn’t get nearly as big of a deal as Iupati or the other top guards available, yet he has anchored a fairly solid run-blocking line since he entered the league.
Boling’s not as physical as Iupati can be, but he’s a very, very solid piece who would fit in without too much trouble next to Joe Staley on the left side without destroying San Francisco’s salary structure.
Outside Linebacker: Akeem Ayers, New England Patriots
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With Ahmad Brooks a likely salary-cap casualty and Aldon Smith's off-field issues in the recent past, the 49ers could use some depth at the outside linebacker position. They have Aaron Lynch as a potential replacement for Brooks and could re-sign Dan Skuta as a backup player, but there’s room for one more.
The Tennessee Titans surprisingly traded Ayers to the Patriots in midseason, and he proved worth the sixth-round pick the Patriots gave up to get him. He’s more of a run defender than a pass-rusher, but the 49ers are set on pass-rushers with Smith and Lynch. Ayers would give the 49ers a player with a different dimension to his game to work into the rotation.
Ayers and Lynch platooning on one side with Aldon Smith starting on the other is probably the best-case scenario for the 49ers' outside linebackers in 2015.
Cornerback: Rashean Mathis, Detroit Lions
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With both Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox as free agents entering the 2015 season, the 49ers will need to sign someone at the cornerback position. The future is locked up, with Tramaine Brock signed to a long-term deal and two rookies, Jimmie Ward and Dontae Johnson, looking solid last season. They could use another starting-caliber corner if Culliver leaves, however.
That might be a spot for Rashean Mathis, who will be 35 next season and thus will likely be looking for a one-year deal. It looked like his career might be over after some down years in Jacksonville, but moving to Detroit the last few years has somewhat revitalized him.
According to MLive.com's Justin Rogers, he thinks he has “multiple seasons left” in him, and from the quality of his play in 2014, I’d be inclined to agree. He’d be a good veteran presence in the defensive secondary while the young players continue to develop.
Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.
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