Three signings the San Francisco 49ers should consider making before the start of training camp
The San Francisco 49ers will enter training camp next month safe in the knowledge they still have a roster that most view as the best in the NFL. Yet as the reigning NFC champions prepare for their quest to finally deliver an elusive sixth Super Bowl title after February's heartbreak in Las Vegas, there are […]
The San Francisco 49ers will enter training camp next month safe in the knowledge they still have a roster that most view as the best in the NFL.
Yet as the reigning NFC champions prepare for their quest to finally deliver an elusive sixth Super Bowl title after February's heartbreak in Las Vegas, there are still some moves they can make to improve their odds of finally getting over the hump.
Let's look at three players who are still on the open market who should be on their radar.
EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah
The 49ers have already added extensively at the edge position this offseason, signing Leonard Floyd to start across from Nick Bosa and also taking a bet on the athleticism of Yetur Gross-Matos.
Still with the latter having struggled to produce in the pros to this point and former second-round pick Drake Jackson coming off a knee injury, San Francisco's depth behind Bosa and Floyd still looks a little shaky.
They could shore it up by adding Ogbah, who remains on the open market after an impressive spell with the Miami Dolphins came to an end.
Ogbah had nine sacks in each of his first two seasons with Miami. A four-year, $65 million extension signed in 2022 proved an ill-fated move as he had just one sack that year in a season ended prematurely by injury and the Dolphins released him this offseason despite him bouncing back with 5.5 sacks in 2023.
He posted that number despite starting just one game and had the fourth-highest sack rate (3.9%) among defensive ends with at least 10 pressures, per Sports Info Solutions.
Like Floyd, Ogbah can play in two and three-point stances and boasts the explosiveness the 49ers covet among the defensive linemen, which has consistently translated into power to drive blockers back towards the quarterback.
The 49ers have faith in Jackson and 2023 fifth-round pick Robert Beal Jr. However, Ogbah would be a much stronger bet to produce as a rotational pass rusher who could start in a pinch if needed.
OL Connor Williams
Another former Dolphin, Williams is, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus, expected to be ready by training camp after tearing his ACL in Week 11.
That opens up an intriguing, if slightly complicated opportunity for the 49ers.
Part of the appeal around Williams is that he has center-guard flexibility, having started at left guard for the Dallas Cowboys before transitioning to center with the Dolphins.
But Rosenhaus states Williams is only looking to play center, perhaps making any potential move for his services a difficult one for a 49ers team that already has its starting center in Jake Brendel.
But Brendel is entering his age-32 season and missed all of OTAs and minicamp with knee issues of his own. The 49ers can also move on from Brendel with little difficulty next offseason.
Williams is only 27 and could give them a longer-term answer at the position if he can stay healthy.
If he had not stated a desire to not play the position, an astute move by the 49ers might have been to sign Williams and try him at the right guard spot, which remains a huge problem area up front for San Francisco, before transitioning him to center next offseason.
As it is, the 49ers probably aren't high on Williams' list given the likely lack of opportunity to start at center, but he is still a player San Francisco should consider to help improve an interior offensive line that was its downfall in Super Bowl 58.
John Johnson III
As it stands, the 49ers are set to head into the 2024 season with Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga as their starting safeties and fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as the primary backup.
The 49ers have reason to have confidence in Brown after his highly encouraging play across five regular-season starts and his interception of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, while they obviously believe in 2022 All-Pro Hufanga, who is coming off a torn ACL.
Opinions of Mustapha both inside and outside the organization are extremely high, but the 49ers are still in a precarious position at safety given Brown is still relatively inexperienced, Hufanga is working his way back from a serious injury and a rookie is their main source of insurance. The 49ers also have special teamer George Odum on the depth chart along with veteran Erik Harris and Tayler Hawkins.
It's not surprising that the 49ers have explored the veteran safety market. Income tax rules saw Rayshawn Jenkins pick the Seattle Seahawks over San Francisco while the 49ers also had Julian Blackmon in for a visit before he re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
General manager John Lynch has said the team will continue to keep in touch with Tashuan Gipson, who started at free safety for the 49ers in each of the last two seasons. However, former Rams safety Johnson serves as a younger and potentially more compelling option.
Still only 28, Johnson ranked 19th in Expected Points Added per target allowed last season among safeties with at least 10 targets. He was 18th among that group of 95 players in Sports Info Solutions' points saved metric in coverage. He finished seventh in passer rating allowed in coverage (46.7) among safeties with at least 100 coverage snaps in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.
Johnson also has experience with 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley, who was the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2020, and boasts the versatility to play the deep middle, in the box and in the slot.
The 49ers' belief in their homegrown options is justified, but it's also clear they know they need a safety net. Johnson stands as one of the best available on a safety market still filled with veteran names.
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The 49ers are unlikely to grant his request.
