So far, the first wave of free agency hasn't exactly been Christmas morning for the "Faithful." After watching their favorite team hand out a ton of big contracts over the last four years, now they face a methodology that's a bit unfamiliar.
To put it plainly, it's every fan's worst nightmare. Watching players you made a connection with, season after season, leave for other teams is a bit unsettling.
49ers general manager John Lynch said he wants the team to get younger and cheaper. Seems logical, but can you do both and still stay competitive? Probably not in today's market.
There's nothing wrong with an overhaul. There's also nothing wrong with a rebuild. But at least make it make sense. These types of moves require preparation. A roster makeover is not something you can do on a whim and keep your team in contention. And that's what Lynch and company have done thus far.
Twitter is absolutely exploding with negativity. However, there are the chosen few that are taking the high road with comments like, "Let's see what the plan is, let's not panic yet." However, from an outsider's perspective, it looks as though the front office is panicking. 49ers owner Jed York has stayed silent for years, letting Lynch and company have full control. Has a 6-11 season finally been enough for him to intervene?
No one is faulting the brass for "trimming the fat," but if you're gonna trim the fat and decide to reboot, you should at least have a plan for it.
The 49ers have taken a big hit along the offensive and defensive front, and the gaping hole that remains is too large to fill with the draft alone. So, are you going to spend big in free agency? Because if you do, you're completely contradicting the reason you got rid of the players that you did to begin with. As stated before, Lynch said his goal is to get cheaper. Here's the problem with that: your only goal as the leader of a team should be to get better.
So far, the 49ers have gotten worse. They are two years removed from Super Bowl LVIII, but after the first wave of free agency, they no longer look like a playoff contender.
Who's going to block for running back Christian McCaffrey?
One of the first big moves of the Shanahan/Lynch era was the signing of Kyle Juszczyk. Initially, it seemed like they overpaid for him. But the 49ers had no big stars at the time, so the price seemed justified based on the team's need for playmakers. He was an immediate difference maker for the offense, so much so that he picked up the nickname "offensive weapon."
Eight years later, "Juice" is 34 years old, and his refusal to take a pay cut made him expendable.
Let's ignore the fact that the fullback position is pretty much dead in today's league. Let's focus on the fact that the 49ers have arguably the best running back in the NFL coming off a pretty substantial injury.
Not to mention, the offensive line was already deficient prior to the departure of left guard Aaron Banks to Green Bay.
Moving forward, the only player worth building around is guard Dominick Puni. Future Hall of Famer Trent Williams is on his way out, and the rest of the line is shaky at best.
Mix all that up, and you've got a recipe for disaster surrounding a player that you should be protecting at all costs.
The 49ers better establish an identity on the offensive front for two reasons: running back Christian McCaffrey's safety and the investment they are choosing to make in quarterback Brock Purdy.
Who is going to help linebacker Fred Warner?
The departure of linebacker Dre Greenlaw was not only emotional for fans, it was downright foolish for the progression of the team.
He was not only a difference maker, but he was also the heart and soul of the defense. Despite his successful tenure, linebacker Fred Warner would tell you that himself.
His production on the field will be missed in a big way. Facts are facts, you simply can't replace "Big Play Dre."
But finding someone to fill the void is only half the problem. The bigger question is, who's going to share the workload with the quarterback of the defense? Leaving Warner out there alone is going to result in one of two things: he's going to burn out faster, or he's going to get hurt. Both scenarios are a disaster for the 49ers.
Behind him is an inexperienced Dee Winters and a handful of question marks.
The focus heading into the draft should've been on the offensive line, but after one day of free agency, it looks as though the defense needs just as much help.
Is Brock Purdy the guy?
Before you answer that, keep in mind that there's only one of two ways to answer that question. There's verbal confirmation, and that really isn't worth much. Then there's a shiny new NFL contract.
Because anyone can say, "Yeah Brock, you're the guy." That's the easy part.
But let's keep it real, fat checks are what give NFL quarterbacks the "warm and fuzzies."
With that being said, what is Brock Purdy worth to the 49ers? That's the real question.
So how should Purdy approach the situation? Does he sign a team-friendly deal and "earn it" on the next go-around, or does he get the largest contract in NFL history?
The current offer on the table is $45 million a year (although, a recent report refuted that figure) with no clear handshake in sight. The 49ers certainly didn't do themselves any favors by clearing cap space before Purdy put pen to paper. And if you think Purdy's agent Kyle Strongin is going to go easy on the front office, it's important to remind you that fellow quarterback Dak Prescott averages $60 million per season. For Strongin, negotiating anything less than $60 million is like saying, "You're right, Brock's not worth that."
If the two sides can't come to an agreement, General Manager John Lynch could simply table the deal and let Purdy play another year on his current contract.
But what for? So, he can pad his stats a little more and possibly leave next year to a division rival.
Here's the reality.
Lynch could very easily let him walk and draft the next man up. Unfortunately, drafting isn't an exact science that's guaranteed to pan out, especially at the quarterback position.
If the 49ers are smart, they'll pay the man.
