How Does Darnell Dockett Signing Impact 49ers' Offseason Plans?

The San Francisco 49ers have been active on the free-agent market—signing a total of three players over the last two days.

Among the most notable of names is former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett. 

News of the transaction was made public when Dockett's agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted out the deal on Thursday.

Dockett had been released by the Cardinals last Friday. Per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, Dockett was scheduled to make $6.55 million in 2015. After his release, Arizona offered him a one-year, $2.5 million contract plus incentives per the report.

Instead of staying put, the 33-year-old veteran will head north to play for the Cardinals' NFC West division rival. His new contract is a two-year deal worth a total of $7.5 million dollars, per numerous sources in Maiocco's report.

Adding Dockett does a lot for San Francisco's defense. It helps alleviate the loss of defensive end Ray McDonald last season. But what are the short- and long-term ramifications behind this transaction? The cap-pressed 49ers will have to work Dockett's deal into their financial plans. 

And what does this mean for general manager Trent Baalke's actions in the upcoming 2015 NFL draft? Dockett wearing red and gold certainly does take some pressure off from selecting an impact D-lineman early on. But it isn't as if Dockett is a long-term fix either.

Most importantly, what should we speculate about his role on San Francisco's defensive front? 

Signing Dockett answers a number of questions. But it also raises some as well.

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Contracts, Cap Space and Consequences

Maiocco broke down Dockett's two-year contract in San Francisco. Out of the $7.5 million owed to the defensive tackle, $2 million is guaranteed. Dockett is scheduled to make $4 million in the first season of his contract.

Guaranteed money can be prorated over the duration of the deal. This can give some teams some flexibility in working underneath the salary cap. And the 49ers are no exception.

San Francisco is $6,906,690 under the salary cap, per Spotrac.com.

While not exactly horrible, the 49ers don't exactly have a lot of wiggle room to negotiate more lucrative deals out there. Such a move could have substantial impact when determining which of their own free agents the 49ers will be able to re-sign.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree, left guard Mike Iupati, running back Frank Gore and cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox are among the notable free agents set to hit the open market on March 9. 

Crabtree and Iupati could have already priced themselves out of San Francisco's future plans. After a strong 2014 campaign, Culliver could also be a sought-after commodity this offseason. But will contractual obligations to Dockett, and others, hinder the 49ers' ability to re-sign a player like Gore?

It's possible. Perhaps even likely.

Yet Baalke and the 49ers appear to have some plans in place to create some more space under the cap.

There are a number of current players who could emerge as cap casualties following 2014. Nick Mensio of Rotoworld.com lists a number of highly paid players who could be in line for cuts or contract renegotiation.

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Two notable players listed are outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and wide receiver Stevie Johnson. Brooks' future in San Francisco is doubtful at best after the emergence of fellow linebacker Aaron Lynch. 

Johnson could be an easier transaction. The 28-year-old wideout is scheduled to make $6.025 million in 2015 after being picked up in a transaction with the Buffalo Bills prior to last year's draft. Since he was part of a trade, there is zero guaranteed money associated with his current deal.

Simply cutting him could free up $6-plus million this season.

The 49ers have also been rumored to move inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite via a trade, per Maiocco.

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Change of Plans in the 2015 NFL Draft?

San Francisco holds the No. 15 pick in the 2015 NFL draft. The 49ers should have nine total picks with which to work pending two additional compensatory picks, which will be announced at the owners' meetings later in March.

A number of mock drafts have the 49ers going defense first with their first-round selection.

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports and ESPN's Todd McShay (h/t Paul Gutierrez of ESPN) and Mel Kiper Jr. (h/t 9ershub.com) all have Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead going to San Francisco at No. 15.

While there remains speculation that the 49ers will take a wide receiver in Round 1 instead of a D-lineman, Dockett's addition doesn't necessarily point the decision in either direction.

San Francisco could still go defense first in the draft. Dockett's age and contract length suggest that he is not the long-term answer the 49ers are seeking along the D-line. Adding a player like Armstead could still give San Francisco a likable option along fellow young players like Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial up front.

Add that to the 49ers' new head coach Jim Tomsula, who previously served as the team's D-line coach prior to the promotion, and San Francisco could easily take this route.

Yet the 49ers likely won't avoid their needs at wide receiver either. True, San Francisco made another free-agent attempt to upgrade this position. Former Minnesota Vikings wideout Jerome Simpson was signed shortly after Dockett, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

And some of the first-round receiving talent such as West Virginia's Kevin White, Louisville's DeVante Parker, ASU's Jaelen Strong and Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham might be too good to pass up.

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Implications for 2015 and Beyond

Dockett comes to the 49ers after missing all of 2014 with a torn ACL suffered in training camp.

Prior to the setback, Dockett—a three-time Pro Bowler—had amassed 349 tackles and 40.5 sacks in 11 seasons with the Cardinals.

His strengths come in the pass rush. According to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, Dockett has a plus-50.2 grade against the pass since 2007. But he ranks poorly against the run with a minus-122.9 grade over the same span.

Further complicating the equation is the uncertain future surrounding veteran defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith has been contemplating retirement this year. Smith's snap percentages have decreased yearly since playing in 92.6 percent of snaps in 2011, per Deeney.

Adding Dockett provides some insurance should Smith retire. This is the argument made by Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke:

"

A rotation between all three players [Tony Jerod-Eddie, Carradine and Dockett] could be in order. Dockett's arrival also gives San Francisco a bit of a safety net should veteran Justin Smith opt for retirement. The 35-year-old Smith (two years Dockett's senior) has yet to make a decision about his future, though he has been working out at the 49ers' facility, according to recent reports.

"

Dockett thrived in Arizona's 3-4 defense—the same scheme San Francisco is expected to employ in 2015.

Should Smith hold off on retirement, it's possible the 49ers utilize some sort of rotation on the outside with these aforementioned players splitting snaps. Considering his weakness against the run, it's possible that Dockett is utilized as a third-down pass-rusher alongside Carradine.

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San Francisco was tied for the 21st-most sacks in 2014 (36), yet its defense ranked No. 5 in the league with just 3,531 yards allowed.

But, as stated before, Dockett does not fill a long-term need. Combine his age with the possibility of Smith's retirement and increased pressure is placed on young players like Carradine to fill the void in coming seasons.

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Worth the Risk?

San Francisco did compromise its ability to retain some key free agents by signing Dockett. But there are a number of possible transactions that could relieve some of the pressure on the 49ers' cap situation.

Additionally, the $2 million in guaranteed money could make Dockett merely a one-year experiment with no realistic expectation that he plays out his two years in San Francisco. Dockett's performance and those waiting in the folds will ultimately determine that in coming months.

This transaction is essentially a low-risk, high-reward one for the 49ers. They get a prolific pass-rusher who, despite his age, adds a daunting presence along the D-line. This deal answers questions surrounding this unit. It might also bridge the gap to younger, cheaper players down the road.

Ultimately, San Francisco's defense is better today than it was before.

Let's see if that trend continues.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Contractual information courtesy of Spotrac.com unless notified otherwise.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.

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