"We want to become a destination where everyone wants to be," San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on February 9 during a press conference with head coach Kyle Shanahan and newly re-signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The 49ers have a quarterback who could become a top-tier talent with the right pieces put in place around him, a head coach who is considered to be among one of the most brilliant offensive minds in football, and a general manager who appears to be doing everything right. On top of all that, they also possess a whole lot of salary cap room to improve the roster.
Just over a year into the job, Lynch and company have already transformed the 49ers from a laughing stock to a "destination." According to former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, impending free agents want to find a way to get to San Francisco. Garoppolo has even fielded texts from players around the league who are intrigued by the possibility of pairing up with him on the football field. A former team beat writer has even received similar texts.
The 49ers are already a destination that will be attractive to free agents at the start of the new league year on March 14. It is such an enticing landing spot that Adam Schein, a columnist for NFL.com, listed San Francisco as the top destination among teams that did not make the playoffs this past season.
Schein points out the in-season turnaround the 49ers had in 2017, starting 1-10 and then finishing off the year winning their final five games with Garoppolo as the starting quarterback and going undefeated in December, has reinvigorated the franchise.
"Now, in Year 2, Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have a chance to dominate free agency," writes Schein. "According to OverTheCap.com, San Francisco currently has the third-most cap space in the NFL. The Niners possess a true franchise quarterback to build around, and a superb offensive mind to maximize the talents of said signal-caller."
Schein can envision free agents, especially those that play on offense, trying to flock to the 49ers.
Below is the complete list of top free agent destinations around the NFL among teams that did not make the playoffs, according to Schein's column:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- Arizona Cardinals
- Green Bay Packers
- Oakland Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Cleveland Browns
- Detroit Lions
- Chicago Bears