8 Bargain-Bin Free Agents Who Could Fill Big Holes for the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers won’t be spending the big bucks in free agency this offseason. Loaded with high-priced veteran players, the team will have to make some sacrifices and tough decisions when it comes to their own pending free agents, much less any potential stars from outside the team.
That doesn’t mean the team will be completely inactive in the free-agent market, however. While no game-changers are going to arrive in town this offseason, there are enough second- and third-tier free agents whom the 49ers could get their hands on.
We’re not talking about a key starting receiver or a replacement for Justin Smith on the defensive line, but rather key transitional players as young rookies begin to step forward.
Here, then, are the top free agents I think the 49ers could afford to get on a relatively shoestring budget.
They won’t be able to afford all of these free agents, mind you, but seeing where they choose to spend their money could give clues as to what their draft strategy will be, as well as how they value the pieces already in place on the roster.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans
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Ryan Mallett just can’t seem to catch a break. Finally with a chance to step out of Tom Brady’s shadow in New England, Mallett ended up starting one game as a Texan while healthy and then staggered through another start with an injured pectoral muscle, ending on injured reserve.
Is one start enough for the Texans to re-sign him to be a starter, or enough for another team to grab him as a potential starting candidate? I’m not so sure.
Mallett is one of a number of solid backup/questionable starters in the free-agent market this offseason, including Jake Locker, Mark Sanchez, Matt Moore, Brian Hoyer, Shaun Hill and Josh McCown. Of the set, Mallett has the least experience, so for a team looking for a short-term bridge between this year and a young mid-round rookie, he may not be the top choice. There’s only so many starting jobs available, after all.
In that case, Mallett might be interested in signing a cheap one- or two-year deal with a team with a job that might open up—like the San Francisco 49ers.
Colin Kaepernick is entrenched as the starter for now, but he is coming off of a poor season. Another poor season could see him be a cap casualty after the 2015 season—and with a season under his belt as the backup, Mallett would then have a great chance to take over the starting role the year after.
A short-term deal would allow him to leave if Kaepernick rebounds, as well—it would seem like a solid second-choice option if the injured Mallett doesn’t receive a starting offer.
It certainly would be a step up from Blaine Gabbert, anyway.
Running Back Shane Vereen, New England Patriots
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One of the reasons for the 49ers’ sack problems in 2014 was the lack of the screen pass as an outlet for avoiding pressure. No running back currently on the roster bodes particularly well as a receiving threat—Bruce Miller is good, but neither Carlos Hyde nor Frank Gore scares you out of the backfield at this point in time.
Shane Vereen, on the other hand, is not a solid rusher, but he is a powerful weapon as a receiver. We saw this in the Super Bowl against Seattle, as Vereen caught 11 passes for 64 yards. It’s not like that was a one-time deal, either; Vereen had six games last season with five or more receptions, and he was only shut out once all season.
It seems unlikely that New England would break the bank to keep Vereen, thanks to its passel of running backs it already has under contract. Besides, the Patriots rarely pay to keep their own free agents, valuing the next man up.
If the new 49ers offense is dedicated to trimming down the 52 sacks it suffered last season, having a pass-catching weapon like Vereen in the backfield would help quite a bit.
Wide Receiver Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars
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If Cecil Shorts could stay healthy, he’d be commanding a very solid payday this offseason. He’s averaged nearly 60 yards a game since becoming a starter in 2012, which is even more impressive considering the quality of the quarterbacks he’s had throwing to him down in Jacksonville.
Sadly, Shorts has not managed to stay healthy. He’s had a wide number of small injuries over the last few seasons, including a variety of hamstring pulls, groin pulls and clavicle sprains. He’s like Miles Austin was over his last few seasons in Dallas—a talented receiver who could never seem to get on the field enough to be worth it.
That being said, Austin left Dallas as a free agent and had a bounce-back season in Cleveland last year. The injures will keep his price down, and Shorts, when healthy, is a solid No. 2 receiver. The 49ers might take a flier on him at a reduced price to see if his health issues can sort themselves out.
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Tight End Tony Moeaki, Seattle Seahawks
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The true “budget” free agents come at the veteran’s minimum, which is what Tony Moeaki should get this offseason. Moeaki is a solid veteran with two good seasons under his belt, in 2010 and 2012 in Kansas City, catching an average of 40 balls for 500 yards those two seasons.
Like Shorts from the previous slide, Moeaki hasn’t been able to do much more than that due to injuries. He tried to rush back from a hamstring injury this offseason but was hampered by it enough to not make the Buffalo Bills’ final roster, with the Seahawks picking him up midseason due to injuries.
Moeaki served as a solid run-blocking tight end for the Seahawks, which would make a lot of sense for the 49ers if they’re going to go back to a power-rushing style offense. He also showed some pass-catching moves, like on this 63-yard reception against the 49ers.
There are certainly better free-agent tight ends than Moeaki, but it’s a thin class at the top. If you’re looking for an option after the first five or so, Moeaki might be your guy.
Guard James Carpenter, Seattle Seahawks
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While the 49ers are shopping at Camp Seahawk, they might as well take a look at James Carpenter.
Once again, we’re looking at a free agent whose value will drop some due to injuries; Carpenter suffered an ankle injury toward the end of 2014 which limited his effectiveness in the back half of the season.
When healthy, though, Carpenter has shown flashes of potential. It looked like he was on the verge of finally fulfilling all of his first-round pick promise, but his ankle injury against Oakland nipped that in the bud.
If the 49ers can’t re-sign Mike Iupati, which seems likely, Carpenter would make an intriguing addition to the competition to replace him, alongside Brandon Thomas, Joe Looney and the loser of Daniel Kilgore and Marcus Martin’s battle at center.
Plus, any time you can sign a starter from a division rival, you have to consider it a double net positive for your franchise.
Defensive End Cory Redding, Indianapolis Colts
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If Justin Smith retires, the 49ers will need to find a new defensive end of the future. They have Tank Carradine ready to try out for a full-time spot, but he’s liable to replace Ray McDonald on the other side of the line. This means either a rookie or a lesser player like Tony Jerod-Eddie would have to fill in at Smith’s old position.
If the 49ers use a mid-round pick on the line, they could stand to add a veteran to play in front of him for a bit—and Cory Redding would fit the bill nicely. Redding is also considering retirement, per The Indianapolis Star, but if he does opt to come back, he’d be a nice addition to the line.
Redding doesn’t fit the normal profile of a budget free agent. Per Spotrac, he counted for $4.3 million against the cap last season and presumably would receive about the same if he were to come back for one more season. That’s less than Justin Smith’s charge, though, so it would be replacing one potentially retiring veteran for another as a young player develops.
It’s “budget” in the sense that the 49ers already have the room carved out for a $4 million-plus end, and they wouldn’t have to do any sort of rejigging of deals to fit him.
Linebacker James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Admittedly, this one is more of a pipe dream than the others. I find it very unlikely that the soon-to-be 37-year-old will play for anyone other than the Steelers or new Titans assistant head coach Dick LeBeau, but he is technically a free agent entering this offseason.
James Harrison was retired at the beginning of last season, and LeBeau lured him back to the field for one more season in Pittsburgh. It was a good thing he did, too—Harrison not only filled one of the Steelers' holes, but he did so with aplomb, excelling in both the pass rush and run defense.
Replacing cap casualty Ahmad Brooks while working Aaron Lynch up to being a full-time starter, and providing insurance in case Aldon Smith has more off-field troubles, I think Harrison has enough juice in him to make a contribution in 2015.
If his snaps were limited to about half the time—which they could, in rotation—he could still provide a veteran threat on the outside.
Like I said, I can’t see Harrison leaving either Pittsburgh or LeBeau—certainly not to play for a rookie head coach on a team that missed the playoffs in 2014. However, his price tag would be cheap, and he could still be a major impact player. A guy can dream, can’t he?
Cornerback Tarell Brown, Oakland Raiders
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Now, wouldn’t that be interesting? The 49ers had to let Tarell Brown go in free agency last offseason, replacing him with the returning Chris Culliver. Now, if Culliver leaves in free agency, could they replace him with Brown?
Brown called his previous offer by the 49ers a “slap in the face” last offseason, but time heals all wounds. After all, the 49ers did work with Brown by offering a bonus after he accidentally voided his workout bonus two offseasons ago. It’s not like there’s nothing but bad blood there.
Brown was solid, if unspectacular, for Oakland last season, and he still has shown the ability to absorb a lot of snaps as he enters his 30s. We know that he can work well with Tramaine Brock at the opposite corner position. He’s a sure tackler with the ability to make plays on the ball.
Brown signed a one-year deal with Oakland with the hopes of cashing in this offseason. Nothing in his play last year showed he’s worth a huge new contract, however, so he might settle for going back to the team he made his name with for a moderate deal.
Bryan Knowles is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him on Twitter @BryKno.
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