Grading every San Francisco 49ers move from a frantic opening week of 2024 NFL Free Agency
The San Francisco 49ers have had an extremely busy free agency period. With limited salary cap space to work with, the Niners haven't been in the business of handing out huge contracts, but they have still managed to bring in a host of new faces, with the major changes coming on defense. Those changes were […]
The San Francisco 49ers have had an extremely busy free agency period.
With limited salary cap space to work with, the Niners haven't been in the business of handing out huge contracts, but they have still managed to bring in a host of new faces, with the major changes coming on defense.
Those changes were primarily focused on a defensive line that lost the team's longest-tenured player when Arik Armstead was released after refusing to take a pay cut. Despite Armstead's departure, the defense and the team overall looks in excellent shape after the first week or so of free agency. Here I grade San Francisco's signings, re-signings and one trade now the action on the open market is dying down.
Signings
EDGE Leonard Floyd, two years, $20 million
Grade: B+
The 49ers clearly needed help on the edge with Clelin Ferrell Chase Young and Randy Gregory all seeing their brief spells with the team come to an end.
None of that trio gave the 49ers the pass-rushing boost at the edge spot across from Nick Bosa that San Francisco desired. By bringing in Floyd, the 49ers have acquired a veteran who has 39.5 sacks over the last four seasons.
Familiar with assistant head coach Brandon Staley from their time together with the Los Angeles Rams, Floyd offers the Niners the length and explosiveness they crave from their pass rushers. He also does excellent work at the top of his rush and can offer the ability to bend and flatten to the quarterback that the Niners haven't had in an edge since Dee Ford was on the roster.
EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, two years, $18 million
Grade: C+
From a bet on experience to a bet on potential.
Explosive and with arms over 34 inches long, Gross-Matos again ticks the main boxes for a 49er pass rusher.
He is also coming off his best season as a pro, recording a career-high 4.5 sacks for a dreadful Carolina Panthers team. In addition, Gross-Matos had a career-high seven tackles for loss and a second successive season with 10 quarterback hits. His pressure rate, per Sports Info Solutions, of 11.3% was just below that of former Panthers teammate Brian Burns (11.8%), while Gross-Matos' sack rate (2.4%) was superior to both Burns (2.3%) and now former 49er Young (1.8%).
There's some thought Gross-Matos could also be used more often as an interior pass rusher on true passing downs. While the numbers aren't spectacular, the 26-year-old still has room to grow and the combination of his athleticism and potential versatility makes him an intriguing signing.
DT Jordan Elliott, two years, $10 million
Grade: C+
Elliott will likely take the place of Javon Kinlaw in the 49ers' revamped interior defensive line rotation. Kinlaw agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Jets worth $7 million.
Kinlaw had his healthiest and best season of his career in 2023 after seeing the early years of his career derailed by persistent knee problems. In his four years with the Cleveland Browns, Elliott missed only one game and made 31 starts over his final two seasons.
After releasing Armstead following a season in which he missed five games and then played through a torn meniscus in the postseason, the 49ers will be pleased to land such a durable player up front.
Elliott finished 2023 sixth among defensive tackles with an ESPN run stop win rate of 40%. Elliott posted that number while being double teamed 45% of the time. It's not a spectacular signing, but his track record of staying on the field and the difference between his contract and that of Kinlaw makes it one worthy of mild praise.
LB De'Vondre Campbell, one-year deal
Grade: C-
The 49ers originally thought they had secured the services of Eric Kendricks to serve as insurance for Dre Greenlaw after their WILL linebacker tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl. Kendricks made a surprise U-turn, however, and instead elected to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.
Campbell was the fallback option. A cursory look at his recent history suggests he is a fine backup plan, having been first-team All-Pro for the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
But he has since battled injuries and struggled to reach those same heights, leading to his release by Green Bay this offseason.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Campbell allowed a completion percentage of 76.5 and 12 yards per attempt last season. His Expected Points Added per target allowed of 0.75 was the highest among all linebackers with at least 10 targets.
But he is a strong veteran presence with recent history of playing at an elite level. If he can produce an upturn in coverage and slide easily into the SAM linebacker role when Greenlaw returns, the 49ers won't need to regret missing out on Kendricks.
CB Isaac Yiadom, one-year deal
Grade: A
The signing of Yiadom was an extremely low key one, but it may prove to be their most important.
Yiadom is coming off a career year with the New Orleans Saints, one in which he racked up 14 pass breakups and, per Sports Info Solutions, allowed a completion percentage of just 38.5%, tied for the fourth-best among cornerbacks with at least 25 targets. Yiadom was ninth by yards per attempt allowed (5.1) and finished 13th by positive play rate allowed (35.9%).
His arrival will theoretically allow Deommodore Lenoir to kick inside to the slot on nickel downs without the 49ers having to turn Ambry Thomas to take his place on the outside. After a series of encouraging performances in the second half of the regular season, the inconsistency that has been a feature of Thomas' career returned in the postseason.
Instead, the Niners can look to Yiadom to fill that role across from Charvarius Ward. The 49ers may not be done adding players in the secondary but, in Ward, Lenoir and Yiadom, they appear to have a top three at corner in which they can have great confidence.
QB Joshua Dobbs, one year, $2.25 million
Grade: A
The 49ers had a hole at backup quarterback after seeing Sam Darnold depart for the Minnesota Vikings, and in Dobbs they have found an excellent replacement
Dobbs proved during his spell with the Vikings last year that he can come in and win games at very short notice, and he has experience working in offenses that are essentially offshoots of the Kyle Shanahan scheme.
Possessing added upside through his ability to create and make plays outside of structure, Dobbs is a superb safety net for Brock Purdy, and his addition is a shrewd move by San Francisco.
The Maliek Collins trade
As alluded to earlier, the move for Jordan Elliott was not made to fill the void left by Armstead. That came when the 49ers struck a trade for veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins with the Houston Texans.
San Francisco sent a seventh-round pick to the Texans to acquire Collins, and there's reason to believe he could be an upgrade on Armstead.
Over the last three seasons, Collins has started 46 games to Armstead's 38, and he is coming off a career year in which he racked up five sacks and 18 quarterback hits.
Collins, per Sports Info Solutions, was ninth in pressure rate (11.1%) among defensive tackles with at least 25 pressures. Javon Hargrave of the 49ers (9.8%) and Armstead (9.3%) were 17th and 21st.
Perhaps most crucially, Collins is 28, whereas Armstead is entering his age-31 season off a serious knee injury. Armstead is an excellent player who deserved a much better ending with the Niners, but there's a lot of evidence to suggest moving on and then striking the trade for Collins was the correct approach by San Francisco.
Grade: A
The rest of the bunch
LB Ezekiel Turner – In addition to focusing on durability, the 49ers placed an emphasis on special teams. Turner played 342 special teams snaps for the Arizona Cardinals last season and has consistently excelled in that area. He was the fifth by Pro Football Focus special teams grade among players with at least 300 special teams snaps in 2020 and 23rd in 2022. Grade: B
DB Chase Lucas – Another special teams signing. Lucas played 295 special teams snaps last season, and he could also compete to earn snaps at nickel. Grade: C
OT Brandon Parker – Parker's arrival was not reported before the 49ers announced it. Able to play both tackle spots, Parker started double-digit games just twice in his career with the Raiders (2018 and 2021). In those seasons he was credited by PFF with allowing 19 sacks. Grade: D
Re-signings
- IOL Ben Bartch, one-year deal: Signed off the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad in November, Bartch's playing time was minimal. However, he's a former starter for Jacksonville who saw his progress derailed by injury. Bartch is only 25 and has guard-center flexibility. Grade: C
- QB Brandon Allen, one-year deal: An easy decision to keep Allen around as a third-stringer with in-depth knowledge of the offense. Grade: C
- WR Jauan Jennings, one-year, $4.89 million (second-round RFA tender): Extra points here for the 49ers showing how much they value the man who would likely have been their Super Bowl MVP had they held on against the Kansas City Chiefs. By putting a second-round tender on Jennings, the 49ers removed any possibility of another team signing him to an offer sheet. San Francisco will now look to get a long-term deal done with their ultra-reliable third wide receiver. Grade: B+
- DT Kevin Givens, one-year deal: Givens has been an underrated part of the interior defensive line rotation since 2019 and will likely to continue to play a useful role again in 2024. Grade: C
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, one-year deal: The 49ers kept Flannigan-Fowles around and let Oren Burks walk after the latter's disappointing Super Bowl performance in relief of the injured Greenlaw. He'll provide valuable depth and continue to play a role on special teams. Grade: C+
- OL Jon Feliciano, one-year deal: The key here is in the contract details, which revealed just a $2.24 million cap hit for an interior lineman who was one of the best run blockers in football last year and can play all three spots on the inside. Grade: A-
- WR Chris Conley, one-year deal: Kudos to the Niners for recognizing Conley's clutch plays on offense in the divisional round and the Super Bowl as well as some excellent special teams contributions. Grade: B
Final Grade
Grade: B
The 49ers have generally done a very impressive job of addressing their key holes on defense with some extremely savvy moves, particularly the Collins trade and the Yiadom signing. Through those moves and the headline addition of the consistently productive Floyd, they're better on the front and the back of their defense. On offense, the Dobbs signing is a very smart one, while Feliciano gives them a reliable starter at right guard on a contract that doesn't preclude them from drafting a potential replacement.
Linebacker remains a question-mark if Greenlaw does not recover to line up next to Fred Warner Week 1, with Campbell's injuries and recent performances denting confidence he can be a reliable fill-in. All the signs would appear to point to an offensive tackle in the first round of the draft, but it would be in keeping with how the Niners have used their premium capital in previous years to go elsewhere.
San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk fans trade speculation flames with his latest social media post
It won’t help any nerves.
