Hargrave, 30, had become the top defensive tackle on the market after the Washington Commanders franchise-tagged Daron Payne and extended him to a four-year, $90 million deal, and now gets handsomely paid by the 49ers, who will pair their marquee free agent with fellow interior lineman Arik Armstead.
Hargrave has been an underrated contributor for the Eagles for years before earning his praises with an 11-sack, 66-pressure season in 2022 alongside a loaded defensive line en route to free agency.
What does this move mean for the 49ers, both in the short and long-term?
Contract
Javon Hargrave broke the bank with a four-year, $84 million deal.
But, what does that really mean for the 49ers?
Despite the large salary cap number, Hargrave's deal likely doesn't involve a high cap hit in Year 1, which allows for flexibility in the short-term as the 49ers attempt to capitalize on their current championship window.
Hargrave's deal includes $40 million in guaranteed money, which likely involves two years of guaranteed salary and his signing bonus, locking the defensive tackle with the 49ers for at least the next two seasons.
The complex situation evolves in Year 2 of Hargrave's contract, where the newly-signed defensive tackle will likely see an increase in cap hit toward his average annual value number, while the 49ers will be shelling out significant money to both Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa as well.
While the cap should only continue to increase, how will the 49ers maneuver that cap situation, specifically around Armstead's contract?
Arik Armstead
The 49ers did this deal to pair Hargrave with Armstead in the short-term, arguably providing San Francisco with the best defensive tackle combination in the NFL, which should only further their pursuit of a Super Bowl in 2023.
However, the 49ers have a tough situation to deal with in the 2024 offseason, as Hargrave will likely see a cap hit increase, while Armstead is scheduled to hold a $25.9 million cap hit and Nick Bosa should be in line for a potentially significant cap hit as well.
With Armstead, the 49ers would have two realistic options: move on or extend their longtime defensive lineman.
Moving on from Armstead would save the 49ers nearly $11 million in cap space, while recouping some value in a trade, providing San Francisco with additional money that they'll likely need to remain cap-compliant.
But, the 49ers could go the opposite route and extend Armstead to a cheaper salary, moving some of his 2024 cap hit over the entirety of his new deal.
While it would make the last few years of Armstead's deal a hefty price for an aging player, it could the best move to salvage the 49ers' current championship window.
But, in regards to Hargrave, the most important factor of this deal is that the 49ers are gaining a true three-down player, which was the key to their success in 2019 when they boasted a defensive line of Dee Ford, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Armstead.
While several rotational pieces certainly made nice contributions in 2022, they weren't to the level of an elite defensive line, which the 49ers should be once again with Hargrave at the helm of their interior.
Was it an overpay? Likely in terms of average annual value, but the 49ers usually construct their free agency deals well, and it allows San Francisco to compete for a championship in 2023 and capitalize on their current window under quarterbacks on rookie contracts.
Why decision to return to 49ers was easy for Jake Brendel; Center discusses Javon Hargrave signing
By David Bonilla
Mar 19
Jake Brendel had suitors in free agency. Several teams, including the San Francisco 49ers, were interested in the veteran center. Ultimately, much to the delight of fans, he returned to the Niners, his NFL home since 2020.
Brendel played 1,252 snaps this past season, by far the most of his career. His 62.9 overall, 71.8 pass-blocking, and 61.9 run-blocking Pro Football Focus grades were each the second-highest of his career.
Despite being in the league since 2016, Brendel played just 250 total snaps before this past season, so he lacks the wear and tear of most 30-year-old offensive linemen. The center still feels like his career is just getting started, and his play is on the rise.
"Honestly, I
5 ESPN experts name Javon Hargrave-to-49ers as best free agent signing
By David Bonilla
Mar 22
ESPN recently asked 12 of its analysts and writers to identify the best overall free agent signing this offseason. Five of them named the San Francisco 49ers signing former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave as the winner.
After facing him in the NFC Championship Game, the Niners couldn't resist the urge to pursue the high-profile free agent. Hargrave recorded five of the Eagles defense's 20 total pressures in that game against the 49ers, tallying one of Philadelphia's three sacks, and earning a 91.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade, his second-highest grade of the season (91.5, Week 18 vs. Giants). The defender's
Jason Kelce: 49ers adding Javon Hargrave "not going to make it any easier" for Eagles
By David Bonilla
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Adding Javon Hargrave was a huge (and shocking) addition by the San Francisco 49ers. While it seems like a perfect fit and addresses a significant team need, no one saw it coming. The Niners didn't have considerable salary cap space, so signing Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal was unexpected.
The former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle, nicknamed "Grave Digger," joins a defensive line that includes NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, bolstering the middle of that unit.
One of the defender's former teammates is happy for Hargrave and his financial good fortune. However, he also knows the loss could be problematic for the defending NFC champions in the upcoming season.
"I'm happy for my man, Grave Digger," Eagles
Javon Hargrave was nervous heading into free agency. He knew he would get paid but was concerned that he might have to sacrifice success in the process. The defensive tackle had just been to a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Often, the teams with the most money to spend are the ones that are rebuilding.
Things appear to have worked out beautifully for Hargrave.
"Sometimes when you're trying to go get the money, you have to go to a team that's in a rebuild mode," Hargrave said. "But if you've got a chance to go to a team that was just in the NFC Championship, that's kind of an easy choice for me. So I was real happy about it.
"It really made me happy because I was real nervous about free agency, on where I was going to have to go. But I feel
