How the San Francisco 49ers Can Win 2015 NFL Free Agency

The San Francisco 49ers have a number of needs ahead of the offseason, but they are not known for addressing holes in the roster via free agency.

General manager Trent Baalke has long been clear about San Francisco's approach to free agency. The Niners attempt to re-sign their own free agents, replace those who do not return and look to bring in additional help for an affordable price.

Baalke has had a lot of success with his free-agency philosophy in recent years, finding an effective replacement for strong safety Donte Whitner last year in the form of Antoine Bethea—who went on to make the Pro Bowl in 2014—and save money at the same time.

In 2013, Baalke brought in two consistent defensive contributors in defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and outside linebacker Dan Skuta, however, he has had his fair share of misses, which include Brandon Lloyd, Randy Moss, Nnamdi Asomugha and Mario Manningham, to name but a few.

The 49ers largely build their team through the draft, but what free-agent moves can Baalke make to help improve the team for the 2015 season? Here I break down how San Francisco's GM can ensure that the Niners are winners in free agency?

Re-Sign Frank Gore and Chris Culliver

The Niners have an array of players poised to become free agents and, with just $1.34 million in cap space—according to Over the Cap—San Francisco will be forced to allow many of that group to leave for pastures new.

Guard Mike Iupati and wide receiver Michael Crabtree figure to be two key players who will not be back in 2015 for the 49ers, who instead should focus on securing the future on two of their other most pivotal contributors.

There has been much speculation over Frank Gore's future in the Bay. The 49ers' all-time leading rusher is set to be a free agent for the first time in his career, although Baalke—per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area—has expressed a desire to come to an agreement with the five-time Pro Bowler.

Gore, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, is also keen to remain with San Francisco, and an extended stay with the Niners makes sense for both parties. For Gore he can remain in a familiar environment where, despite the recent upheaval, he knows most of the coaches, while the 49ers would keep a veteran presence who has shown little signs of slowing down.

The 31-year-old recorded the eighth 1,000-yard season of his career in 2014 despite not being consistently used as the focal point of the offense. Indeed, Gore continues to display the vision and patience he has been known for throughout his career, helping him to keep moving the chains despite his now-distinct lack of elite speed.

It remains to be seen whether Gore would be the starter again if he did decide to extend his stay after Carlos Hyde—picked in last year's draft to become the Niners' future bellcow—showed flashes of promise in putting up 333 yards and four rushing touchdowns in his maiden pro season.

San Francisco could go with Hyde as the No. 1 guy and bring in another tailback from an extremely talented draft class to compete with Kendall Hunter for the main backup spot. However, with other priorities in the early rounds the 49ers are unlikely to find anyone as polished as Gore who, if used in tandem with Hyde in the right manner, can continue to be an extremely effective contributor on the ground.

Baalke and the Niners perhaps have a more difficult decision to make at the cornerback position, where two of their top performers from the 2014 campaign, Perrish Cox and Chris Culliver, are both poised to test the market in the offseason.

Many may feel that Cox is worthy of a big payday after snagging a tied for league-high five interceptions, but his play tailed off in the second half of the season, with the former Denver Bronco receiving a negative grade from Pro Football Focus in five of the last eight games. Instead it is Culliver who deserves to be rewarded with a new deal following a year in which he brilliantly bounced back from a torn ACL that forced him to miss all of the 2013 season.

PFF ranked Culliver as the No. 14 corner in the league and the Niners' best cover corner after he recorded four interceptions and 14 pass deflections. And, with his combination of size and speed, San Francisco should do its best to ensure it keeps the former South Carolina Gamecock around even if the 49ers plan on adding another defensive back in the draft.

Acquire an Experienced, Explosive Receiver

With Crabtree and Lloyd unlikely to return for next season, the Niners figure to soon be very thin at the receiver position.

The departures of Crabtree and Lloyd would leave Anquan Boldin and potential salary-cap casualty Stevie Johnson as the two starters on either side ahead of Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton. Ellington perhaps deserves some more playing time after a decent rookie season, yet it is clear the 49ers need to bring in reinforcements at wideout.

They could find a young and exciting pass-catcher in a strong draft class filled with prospects who can stretch the field and make plays. Still, there is no guarantee draft selections will work out, and it would be a smart move for a 49ers team that averaged just seven yards per pass play in 2014 and had only five plays of 40 yards or more through the air to bring in an experienced receiver with a track record of creating big gains.

Jeremy Maclin of the Philadelphia Eagles is one such player who has the ability to transform an offense but is likely to command a hefty salary after recording 85 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maclin may be out of the Niners' price range, as will Torrey Smith of the Baltimore Ravens, who—per CBSSports' Jason La Canfora—was offered a five-year, $35 million contract before the season.

Tom Gannam/Associated Press/Associated Press

That deal is said to contain $19 million in guaranteed money, figures San Francisco is unlikely to match despite a season in which Smith made 11 touchdown catches. Instead, they would be better served going after a wideout from their own division who has yet to really reach the level he is capable of.

Kenny Britt signed with the St. Louis Rams on a one-year, $1.4 million deal last offseason and repaid the faith shown in him by the Niners' division rivals by recording 48 catches for 748 yards and three touchdowns. Modest numbers, yes, but in an offense minus a settled starter at quarterback and lacking in talent across the board, they are clear indication that Britt could be a top-tier talent in the right team.

Britt, who has the size to be the deep jump-ball threat the 49ers have been missing, wants to stay with the Rams, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Still, given his talent and likely affordability compared to the other free agents at the position, it would be in San Francisco's best interests to make a pitch to him as the Niners seek more explosion in the passing game.

Bring in Tight End Help

One of the primary reasons why the Niners had difficulties throwing the ball was the limited production from the tight end position.

After snagging two touchdown grabs in the Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, an injury-hampered Vernon Davis did little to justify his offseason holdout. Indeed, Davis was virtually nonexistent as a pass-catcher, with his struggles further magnifying the absence of wideout capable of testing defenses down the field.

With Davis not a threat in the passing game, the 49ers needed a contribution from one of their backup tight ends. Such an impact did not come from Vance McDonald or Derek Carrier, though, and it is clear the Niners, who had previously excelled with Delanie Walker working in tandem with Davis, need a complement to their starting tight end.

One of the top candidates to fill such a role should be Charles Clay of the Miami Dolphins. Perhaps more of an H-back rather than a traditional tight end, Clay is not an explosive playmaker but is a big target for the quarterback in the red zone and has consistently put up decent numbers for the Dolphins, finishing 2014 with 605 yards on 58 catches with three touchdowns despite battling a knee injury for the entire year.

The Dolphins, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, have privately indicated a wish to re-sign Clay to a new contract. If he was to stay in South Florida, then Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Cameron and Owen Daniels are other options the Niners could potentially pursue.

La Canfora reports that Cameron does not want to remain with the Browns and, after averaging 17.7 yards per reception, per Pro Football Reference, in 2014, figures to be an exciting long-ball option who should command plenty of interest on the open market and be on the wish list of a 49ers team that needs as many weapons as it can get.

Prior to this past season, tight end had been considered a strong suit for San Francisco. Now, with the draft looking weak at the position, it is in area the Niners need to think strongly about addressing in free agency in order to kick-start this offensive unit.

Add a Mobile Backup Quarterback

The 49ers never needed to use their backup quarterbacks at any point last season, save for bringing in Blaine Gabbert to protect Colin Kaepernick at the end of a blowout loss in Denver.

But there can be little doubt the Niners would have been struggling had their reserve signal-caller been forced into action by an injury to Kaepernick. Gabbert, acquired in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, never showed any sign of improvement from his terrible first three seasons in the league when given playing time in preseason and it would a surprise to see him return in 2015.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Rarely is a backup an improvement on the starter, but going into the offseason, the 49ers need to ensure they have a No. 2 guy in place who could at least keep them in with a shot down the stretch. Below that, it would be a wise move to find a project quarterback in the draft to develop in case things do not work out in the long term with Kaepernick.

Focusing on the issue of an experienced backup, it is clear the Niners should pursue a player in the same mould as Kaepernick, particularly when you consider that they have reportedly hired a quarterback coach in Steve Logan who has expressed a fondness for mobile quarterbacks.

Logan, a former head coach at East Carolina and offensive coordinator at Boston College has commented that he would take "mobility at the sacrifice of accuracy", according to Barrows. Those comments may worry some observers, but suggest the Niners will look to accentuate Kapernick's primary strength, which is playing on the run.

If the 49ers are to build the offense around Kaepernick's ability with legs, then it follows that San Francisco should bring in a backup who can also have an impact on the ground, and thankfully there a number of those players set to be available in free agency.

Jason Campbell, Andy Dalton's backup for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014, has plenty of starting experience and a track record of making plays with his legs. He would also not command too much of a salary having only counted for just $1.5 million of the Bengals' cap last year, per Spotrac.

Christian Ponder of the Minnesota Vikings—an alleged draft target for the 49ers in 2011 before they decided on Kaepernick in the second round—is set to become available, although another man who made his name in the Twin Cities, Tarvaris Jackson, is arguably a better option.

Jackson's lowest yards-per-carry average in his first three seasons in the league was an impressive 4.8, per Pro Football Reference, and, while he has not exactly experienced success as a starter in the past, he would undeniably be an upgrade on Gabbert.

The 31-year-old also comes with knowledge of the Seattle Seahwaks' offensive system having spent the last two seasons at CenturyLink Field, which could be something of a bonus as the Niners look to take control of the NFC West again in 2015.

Solidify the Trenches

Heading into the 2015 season, the Niners have questions on both sides of the trenches.

On the defensive side, no-one knows if veteran Justin Smith will return to a D-Line that lost Ray McDonald when he was released back in December. Meanwhile, the offensive line could see impending free-agent Mike Iupati go elsewhere and is perhaps in the need of some extra depth after right tackle Jonathan Martin struggled to perform when starter Anthony Davis was sidelined through injury.

San Francisco has history of addressing both those areas in the draft, however, the Niners could do worse than to use the open market to acquire some valuable pieces up front.

The 49ers have in-house candidates to take Iupati's spot in the form of Brandon Thomas and Marcus Martin. However, Thomas redshirted his rookie year because of an ACL tear, while Martin struggled at center after coming in for injured starter Daniel Kilgore.

If San Francisco is not comfortable in deploying either of that duo at left guard, then it would be well served by pursuing one of two experienced free agents who are coming off strong 2014 seasons. Orlando Franklin of the Denver Broncos is sure to generate a lot of interest once the market opens, having allowed just one sack, two quarterback hurries and eight hits last campaign, according to PFF.

Franklin, 27, also performed strongly in the run game yet, the Niners may prefer to try to sign a younger player in Clint Boling, the 25-year-old who allowed only two sacks in 2014 and was rated as PFF's No. 19 guard in the NFL.

With Iupati having given up seven sacks last season, both Franklin and Boling would be upgrades on the former Idaho Vandal in terms of pass protection, an area San Francisco could also improve by ensuring it has a better deputy for Davis on the right-hand side.

When called upon, Jonathan Martin gave up six sacks and 21 quarterback hurries, per PFF, proving a liability when protecting Kaepernick. The Kansas City Chiefs' Ryan Harris is certainly capable of competing for that backup role after performing adequately in reserve of Donald Stephenson.

Cincinnati's Marshall Newhouse and Tyler Polumbus of the Washington Redskins are also set to be available, although both are coming off disappointing seasons and would arguably no improvement on Martin. San Francisco is strong enough on the O-Line to perhaps go with what they have, however, if Justin Smith calls it day, it is a luxury the Niners do not have on the D-Line.

Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial gained their first significant playing time in 2014 and, while they generally played well, going into the new season with that duo as the starters at the two defensive end spots is not a desirable situation. The 49ers can generate competition at that position, though, by making an astute veteran acquisition.

Corey Peters of the Atlanta Falcons, as B/R's Matt Miller points out, has the versatility to operate in a 4-3 or as an end on the 49ers' three-man front and, at the age of 26, has yet to reach his peak and should not command too hefty of a price.

Seventh-year player Terrance Knighton—rated as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the league in 2014 by PFF—is a strong fit for the Niners' two-gap system given his 6'3" and 331-pound frame and serves as a relatively low risk investment who could allow San Francisco to move either Glenn Dorsey or Ian Williams from nose tackle to one of the end spots.

A more low-key possibility is Tyson Alualu of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Alualu played in a 4-3 with the Jags but, at 6'2" and 294 pounds, is capable of transitioning to 3-4 and familiar with the area having played his collegiate football at California.

The 49ers have long been a strong team in the trenches, free agency may well be key in ensuring that continues to be the case in 2015.

Final Thoughts

San Francisco still has a very strong roster, but needs help in a number of areas. In recent years, the 49ers have taken the right approach and fixed their squad through the draft, and that is an approach they should stick to, particularly with the talent available at the wide receiver position this year.

Yet there is plenty of value to be had in free agency this offseason at positions where the Niners require help, and they can set themselves up for a draft in which they can target playmakers by bringing in experienced and affordable depth as San Francisco targets a return to the playoffs in 2015.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.