Best and Worst Moves the San Francisco 49ers Have Made in Free Agency
The San Francisco 49ers this offseason remade their team partly by choice.
They chose not to retain one of the NFL's best coaching staffs. They also chose not to retain former core players such as Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox. The Niners seemed to plan on losing those players and seemed confident they could quickly retool. “This isn't a rebuild situation. This is a reload situation.” That’s what general manager Trent Baalke said.
The 49ers did not plan on losing Patrick Willis and Chris Borland. Those two retired. Justin Smith is considering retirement, too, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. So, forget reloading. Now the Niners are rebuilding. Yes, it’s a rebuild situation, Trent. The Niners are a team in search of an identity on offense and defense.
From 2006 to 2014, the Niners offense revolved around Gore. From 2008 to 2014, the defense revolved around Willis and Smith. Now whom do those units revolve around? The answer is yet-to-be-determined.
The 49ers made moves to fill their voids. Some moves were good, others not so good. Here are the best and worst moves the 49ers made in free agency. I alternate between good moves and bad moves.
Third-Best Move: Signing Wide Receiver Torrey Smith
1 of 6
The 49ers had a choice.
They could sign a big-time wide receiver or attempt to draft one. Either way, they needed a big-time receiver. Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson were on the way out of town, and Anquan Boldin was the only legitimate starting receiver on the roster.
The 49ers chose to sign one of the best and most expensive wide receivers on the free-agent market—26-year-old Torrey Smith, formerly with the Baltimore Ravens. They signed him to a five-year, $40 million contract. It’s the most expensive contract the 49ers have given a player from outside of the organization since Trent Baalke became the 49ers’ general manager in 2011.
Smith was a smart signing. There is no way to know for sure which wide receivers in the upcoming draft will be better than Smith. Just look at the unimpressive wide receivers who were drafted in the first round in 2005—10 years ago.
Pick No. 3: Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns, 359 career catches, retired in 2013
Pick No. 7: Troy Williamson, Minnesota Vikings, 87 career catches, retired in 2010
Pick No. 10: Mike Williams, Detroit Lions, 127 career catches, retired in 2012
Pick No. 22: Matt Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars, 166 career catches, retired in 2009
Pick No. 23: Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens, 260 career catches, retired in 2012
Pick No. 27: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons, 765 career catches, still playing
Only Roddy White lived up to his draft position. The other players underperformed or completely flopped.
Third-Worst Move: Signing Running Back Reggie Bush
2 of 6
Reggie Bush is a 30-year-old running back whose best attribute always has been speed. Running backs tend to slow down when they hit 30. Bush may have slowed down already.
During his nine-year career, he has averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry. But last season he injured his ankle, causing him to average just 3.9 yards per carry and miss seven games.
Bush gets injured a lot. He has missed 28 of 144 NFL games he could have played during his career—19 percent, roughly three games per season.
It’s puzzling that the 49ers would sign an injury-prone 30-year-old speed back. The upcoming draft features plenty of healthy young speed backs such as Ameer Abdullah, Duke Johnson and Tevin Coleman.
The 49ers probably signed Bush to catch passes out of the backfield, which also is puzzling. Bush is a good receiver, but Colin Kaepernick isn’t an accurate passer, especially on short throws. Kaepernick struggles throwing to running backs like some pitchers struggle throwing to first base.
Bush doesn’t fit this team.
Second-Best Move: Not Re-Signing Running Back Frank Gore
3 of 6
Gore is the perfect running back for the Indianapolis Colts, and the Colts are the perfect team for Gore.
The Colts were one good running back away from being the best team in the AFC. Gore has enough left in the tank to make one more run at a Super Bowl. He and the Colts complete each other.
Gore and the 49ers would not complete each other. They would have been a bad marriage. Gore is in the final stage of his career. The Niners are rebuilding. Gore would be wasting his time and effort on a rebuilding team. He played for rebuilding teams from 2005 to 2010—he doesn’t need to play for any more of them. He did that. He wants one last chance to win a championship.
The 49ers don’t have a realistic chance to win the Super Bowl right now. They’re long shots. Even if they were contenders, they’d have no use for Gore. Carlos Hyde is better than Gore. It’s Hyde’s time now. The Gore Era is over in San Francisco.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Second-Worst Move: Signing Guard/Tackle Erik Pears
4 of 6
At no point in Erik Pears’ career was he a good player.
From 2006 to 2013, he was a bad right tackle for the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills. In 2014, the Bills moved him to right guard, and he was bad there, too. He is a terrible run-blocker and a so-so pass protector.
That said, Pears probably is an upgrade over Jonathan Martin, the 49ers’ backup offensive tackle last season. Martin is bad at everything. According to Pro Football Focus, he has given up 19 sacks in 38 games—one sack every two games. Pears has given up 24 sacks in 101 games—roughly one sack every four games.
Pears actually is a better pass protector than the 49ers’ starting right tackle, Anthony Davis, who has given up 35 sacks in 71 games. It’s just that Davis is one of the best run-blockers in the league. Pears is one of the worst. If Davis gets hurt and Pears has to take his place, the 49ers’ running game will crumble, which will cause the play-action passing game to fall apart as well.
The Niners need a better backup tackle than Pears.
Best Move: Not Re-Signing Guard Mike Iupati
5 of 6
Mike Iupati was the best left guard in the NFL in 2012 and 2013. He fractured his ankle in the 2014 NFC Championship and never was the same.
Before he broke his ankle, he could do everything you would want a left guard to do. He could drive back the defender in front of him, and he could move and block defenders who were not in front of him. He was one of the best pulling guards in the NFL. A left guard has to be good at pulling.
Iupati can’t pull anymore. The ankle injury slowed him down. All he can do is block the man in front of him. He is much better suited to play right guard than left guard at this point in his career.
The Arizona Cardinals signed him this offseason to a five-year, $40 million deal. They’re paying him as if he never broke his ankle, as if he still is the best left guard in the game. They’re paying for what he used to be.
The 49ers don’t overspend on veteran interior offensive linemen. They draft interior linemen, and they draft them high. The 49ers’ starting left guard has been a former first-round pick or a former second-round pick every season since 2005. Don’t be surprised if the 49ers replace Iupati in the first round or second round of the upcoming draft.
Worst Move: Re-Signing Quarterback Blaine Gabbert
6 of 6
Blaine Gabbert is one of the richest bad quarterbacks in NFL history.
Gabbert has been in the NFL for four seasons, started 27 games, thrown 23 touchdown passes, 24 interceptions and earned more than $12 million. He is scheduled to earn another $4 million over the next two seasons with the 49ers.
What possessed the 49ers to re-sign Gabbert? Why do teams keep giving him money?
His win-loss record is 5-22. When he has to put down the clipboard and play in a game, he usually loses.
Instead of signing Gabbert for two years, $4 million, the 49ers could have gotten Tyrod Taylor. The Buffalo Bills signed him to a three-year, $3.35 million contract this offseason. Taylor is cheaper and better than Gabbert. The Niners could win games with Taylor if he were Kaepernick’s backup and Kaepernick were to get hurt.
If Kaepernick gets hurt and Gabbert has to take his place, the 49ers may not win a single game. Having Gabbert is like not having a backup quarterback.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
