San Francisco 49ers set to reap the rewards of their most surprising move of the offseason
The San Francisco 49ers caught many people by surprise early in the offseason when they made the difficult decision to part ways with defensive tackle Arik Armstead. Armstead had been the longest-tenured player on the 49ers' roster, having been drafted 17th overall in the first round in 2015. But the 49ers elected to release Armstead […]
The San Francisco 49ers caught many people by surprise early in the offseason when they made the difficult decision to part ways with defensive tackle Arik Armstead.
Armstead had been the longest-tenured player on the 49ers' roster, having been drafted 17th overall in the first round in 2015.
But the 49ers elected to release Armstead on March 13 after he refused to agree to a pay cut as part of a contract restructure.
Armstead was designated as a post-June 1 release and was quickly signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the 49ers moving to replace him by trading a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for Maliek Collins.
And, with the calendar set to flip to June on Saturday, the 49ers will on Sunday get the salary cap relief they had hoped to gain through a restructure.
It will be significant relief, with the 49ers set to gain an additional $17.8 million in cap space.
In terms of how the dead money will be moved around as a result of Armstead's post-June 1 cut, $10.6 million of it will go on the 2024 cap, with $14.8 million moved into 2025.
For a 49ers team that, per Over The Cap, currently has just $6.1 million in cap space, the additional room Armstead's release creates figures to be hugely beneficial.
It likely won't make much of a difference in negotiations with Brandon Aiyuk over a long-term extension. The 49ers will almost certainly look to backload that deal and bring the All-Pro wide receiver's 2024 cap number down while paying him a significant amount up front through a pro-rated signing bonus.
But it will make it easier for the 49ers to finish the job of signing their rookie class by tying first-round pick Ricky Pearsall to a contract. The 31st overall selection is the only member of their draft class that the Niners have yet to sign.
Beyond that, the additional space could facilitate an addition at the safety position, where the 49ers' depth is shaky behind projected starters Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga, while it also puts them in a better spot to make the aggressive in-season moves that have become a regularity for a team that remains firmly in 'Super Bowl or bust' mode.
Armstead's release was not something anyone inside the 49ers' organization wanted to see happen. However, with his replacement long since secured and the cap relief from that move on the horizon, San Francisco can start to feel somewhat vindicated in making an especially painful business decision.
