Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Where the 49ers landed in ESPN’s post-free-agency power rankings
Mar 28, 2023 at 8:29 AM
•
In February, ESPN released its
"way-too-early" power rankings following the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers came in at No. 3, with the two Super Bowl participants, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, as the only teams ranked higher.
Over a month later, with the bulk of significant free-agency moves in the books, not much has changed for head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad. The Eagles have dropped out of the top three, falling from the No. 2 spot to fourth, replaced by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Niners remain at No. 3.
Quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo has departed for the Las Vegas Raiders. Tackle
Mike McGlinchey is among the newest Denver Broncos. San Francisco added
Javon Hargrave to its defensive line,
signing him to a four-year, $84 million deal. The team also added
Sam Darnold to its quarterback room and several other key components to the roster.
ESPN asked its NFL Nation reporters to identify one under-the-radar move each team made over the past couple of weeks. So what was it for the 49ers? Was it the addition of defensive end
Clelin Ferrell or cornerback
Isaiah Oliver? Was it the signing of defensive end
Austin Bryant?
It was none of those moves. Instead, the most underrated move, in the eyes of team reporter Nick Wagoner, was retaining quarterbacks coach Brian Griese.
"Griese's hire raised some eyebrows in 2022 because he had never coached in the NFL," wrote Wagoner. "But he proved a natural fit as the Niners got good quarterback play despite injuries. Griese signed a two-year deal in 2022, but it was unclear whether he would return because he was away from his family in Denver for the season."
General manager John Lynch and the 49ers were concerned that Griese's time with the team might be short-lived.
"He had to go kind of weigh all that, and he had us nervous," Lynch said via Wagoner. "But we understand that. So he kind of went through that process ... But he's back."
With Garoppolo gone, the trio in the 49ers' quarterbacks room consists of last season's rookie sensation and last overall pick in the draft,
Brock Purdy, third-year player and former No. 3 overall pick,
Trey Lance, and free-agency acquisition Sam Darnold.
It's a young group. Darnold, at age 25, is the oldest. Purdy is 23 years old, while Lance, 22, is the youngest and most inexperienced of the group.
Wagoner added, "That continuity is no small thing for a quarterback room that isn't long on experience, save for addition Sam Darnold."
Where does the rest of the NFC West sit within the power ranking? The Seattle Seahawks came in at No. 12, the Los Angeles Rams at No. 25, and the Arizona Cardinals are last, at No. 32.
Click here to view the entire ESPN power ranking.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Where 49ers players landed in PFF's RB, TE, WR, CB, and DT rankings
Pro Football Focus has been going through its annual position rankings. Trent Williams came in as the NFL's best tackle, which is probably a shock to no one. The San Francisco 49ers' second-year quarterback, Brock Purdy, came in at No. 23 within his position group. A late-season stretch of promising play got Spencer Burford into the ranking of offensive guards. He came in at No. 32.
Several other 49ers have appeared throughout the rankings. The team is represented in the running back, tight end,
ESPN: 49ers have 'no choice' in Nick Bosa contract negotiations
Nick Bosa isn't stressing over his contract negotiations. Why should he? The pass rusher has built an impressive resume since the San Francisco 49ers made him the No. 2 overall pick in 2019.
Bosa's nine sacks in 2019 helped him earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. His 2020 campaign was cut short by an ACL injury, but it wasn't enough to slow down the talented defensive end. Bosa led the 49ers with 15.5 sacks the next season.
Bosa racked up a league-leading 18.5 sacks last season on his way to being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The 49ers bought themselves some time by exercising the 25-year-old's fifth-year option, ensuring he remains with the team through the upcoming season. Ideally, though, the Niners would like to get a long-term deal done,
49ers work out free agent WR Jason Moore
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the San Francisco 49ers worked out former Las Angeles Chargers wide receiver Jason Moore on Wednesday, during the team's second and final minicamp practice.
Source: Former #Chargers wide receiver Jason Moore worked out for #49ers today along with quarterback Jack Coan @KPRC2— Aaron Wilson
49ers Notebook: Javon Hargrave's first 49ers thoughts; Trent Williams' weird late-night workout schedule; Wilks on DBs; Deommodore Lenoir wants to be elite
The 49ers ended their offseason workout program on Wednesday with their final session of mandatory minicamp. But before they made their way out the door for the summer, the team gave fans and reporters one last dose of info in the form of the final media sessions of the spring.
Among those speaking to reporters on Wednesday were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Each session produced some interesting tidbits, which we'll review in this version of 49ers notebook.
Hargrave speaks
Despite being the splash free agent addition of the offseason for the 49ers, Javon Hargrave had not met with the team's beat reporters in person before Wednesday.