2020 Free Agency:
2020 FA is all about keeping this team together for one more try at that Lombardi trophy. This means keeping Ward, keeping Sanders, keeping Arik, keeping Sherman. With Kwon Alexander and Weston Richburg restructuring their contracts, and Jimmy G's contract still available to tinker with, I'm looking to lock in Buckner and Kittle now. If this means that we have to wave goodbye to McKinnon (open to restructuring if healthy), Goodwin, and other back of the roster players making entirely too much money, than so be it. We do not pursue any big name outside free agents in 2020, tho Justin Simmons and Byron Jones would be the ones to go after.
2020 Draft Trades:
This is where we get busy, and the wishful thinking comes to a head.
Trade 1: 49ers trade pick R1P31 and R6P210 to the Denver Broncos for DEN R3P77, R3P83, R3P95. While this is actually quite drastically in Denver's favor as far as traditional draft pick value goes, I do think that asking the Broncos to trade three picks for one is a tall order. Having an extra 6th, to go along with their 2nd and two 4ths makes it an easier decision for the Broncos, who after using their original 1st round pick at 15th overall to take one of the top two WR in the draft, decide it is worth moving back up into the first to continue building around their QB of the future, and take the last remaining 1st round caliber OT in a top heavy class.
Trade 2: 49ers trade R3P77, R5P156, and Sheldon Day, DT for a second round pick.
Trade 3: 49ers trade R5P176 and Tevin Coleman, RB for a 4th round pick.
Trade 4: 49ers trade Soloman Thomas, DL and a 2021 4th round pick for a 2020 5th round pick.
2020 NFL Draft
R2: Cameron Dantzler, CB | Mississippi State NFL Comp: Ahkello Witherspoon, but with an alpha mentality
We have to start planning for life after Richard Sherman, and Cameron Dantzler is the guy. Has all of the athletic tools and length of Witherspoon, with none of the concerns about aggressiveness or focus.
R3: Kyle Dugger, S | Lenoir-Rhyne NFL Comp: Obi Melifonwu as a prospect
Just like Obi Melifonwu, Kyle Dugger is a physical and athletic freak. The 49ers should continue to deviate from a strictly cover 3 defense relying solely on a single high free safety with elite range, and our safeties will need to be interchangeable. Dugger brings the ability to strictly roam around, either deep or in the box, and act as a defensive weapon. He is a DII player however, which is why he is available here in the 3rd round. Much like Obi, his ability to play on instinct needs to improve, and it has not yet been proven if his production is simply because he was just that much more athletic than everyone else on the field, that it didn't matter if he was a step late.
R3: Josh Uche, LB | Michigan (alternate: Darrell Taylor, ER) NFL Comp: Somewhere between Haason Reddick as a prospect and Genard Avery as a NFL player)
First, we'll start with the good. Despite his size, Josh actually has good length, with 33-1/4" arms. I would not expect him to be a full time edge rusher, but a full time edge rusher is not necessarily what is needed, especially with all of the top ER in the draft long gone. We have Dee Ford, who is an excellent player, but a player who can't stay healthy if he takes too many snaps. Josh Uche has the explosiveness and flexibility to dip and rip around the edge, and he can spell Ford when needed. While I wouldn't expect Uche to win in many other ways at the NFL level in his first one or two seasons, he does have the length and strength to potentially develop into a more complete edge rusher. If not, or if Ford or his eventual replacement do stick around, we also have an expensive and oft injured LB in Kwon Alexander. Kwon did restructure, and I do hope we keep him; he was an awesome and vastly underrated player in Tampa, and he has seemingly had a huge impact on our locker room, and especially on Warner and Greenlaw. With that said, if it makes financial sense for Kwon to be out the door in the near future, Greenlaw can take over for him at WILL, and Uche for Greenlaw at SAM. Versatile players are always valuable. Now, for the bad, otherwise, he wouldn't be available. Where as the rose colored glasses see versatile, the majority of NFL teams will likely see tweener. Don't let his senior bowl performance fool you, this is not a top 60 prospect. Teams will wonder where a player his size fits into the grand scheme of a defense, and while his coverage ability shined in 1v1 drills at the Senior Bowl, he did not consistently show the ability to play off-ball during actual games this CFB season.
R4: Ben Bartch, OT | Saint John's University NFL Comp: Joe Staley
He doesn't meet the size/length thresholds that a lot of NFL teams will look for in their OT, and he will be considered too small or weak to play inside for teams that run predominantly gap/power running schemes. He is, however, a perfect developmental prospect behind Joe Staley with his movement skills and athletic ability. He won't start year one, but we have Joe for that.
R5: Netane Muti, OG | Fresno State NFL Comp: Laken Tomlinson the NFL player
I see PFF has been high on Netane, and a lot of draft sites are now starting to follow suit. Netane, however, has been my OG1 since the beginning of the season. The problem? A very troubling injury history, and I assume that very few teams will be willing to take an early gamble on a player from the Mountain West Conference who has had season ending injuries 3 times. If he can take a redshirt year in the NFL to get coached up and healthy, however, he can be a fixture on the line for the years to come. He is violent and nasty, with more pancakes on his highlight reel (despite a lack of games due to injury) that I have seen since Quenton Nelson, and he has excellent movement skills and range, as displayed when asked to perform in Fresno's pro-style running scheme which utilizes a lot of pulls and zone concepts.
R7: Anthony McFarland, RB | Maryland NFL Comp: Joe Williams, but with a head on his shoulders
Anthony McFarland will not be a 3-down back in this league, as he has trouble creating for himself. Just like Joe Williams, he really does need a well defined hole in order to be productive. Also like Joe Williams, Anthony McFarland is a one-cut north to south runner, with excellent speed, and unexpected contact balance. Given our run game's inability to NOT make it's fair share of holes, Anthony McFarland has the chance to be a difference maker for our team, where as he would be treated like Raheem Mostert elsewhere. He will hopefully eventually make us forget who Tevin Coleman is, and the best part is, he is not, I repeat, he is not related to Booger McFarland. Winning.
R7: Benito Jones, IDL | Ole Miss NFL Comp: DJ Jones
We draft a player like DJ Jones, so that he can play back up to DJ Jones.
2021 Free Agency:
We have one and only one target. TY Hilton. He will be well on the wrong side of 30, which should make his contract rather affordable despite his ability on the football field and what he can bring to the table, and you know he will be itching for the chance at a ring. With Goodwin's sudden drop off of a cliff back to his status norm, Shanny's full playbook reliance on having a burner, and our inability to find one, WITH RELIABLE HANDS, given our draft positioning, TY Hilton is the perfect solution.
2021 NFL Draft
R1: Shaun Wade, DB | Ohio State NFL Comp: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Think Minkah Fitzpatrick. He can play slot, roam as a safety, maybe even outside. I just want play-makers on defense.
R2: Pat Freiermuth, TE | Penn State NFL Comp: Dallas Goedert
He's not Gronk lite, hes Kittle lite, and him and Kittle on the field at the same time is going to cause nightmares.
R3: James Empey, OC | BYU NFL Comp: who knows
The final piece of the most dominant zone running offensive line in the NFL for the next 7 years.
2021 NFL Season - Key Roster
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB: Raheem Mostert
FB: Kyle Juszczyk
OL: Ben Bartch, Netane Muti, James Empey, Daniel Brunskill, Mike McGlinchey
WR: Deebo Samuel, TY Hilton, Jalen Hurd, Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Richie James Jr.
TE: George Kittle, Pat Freiermuth
DL: Ronald Blair, DJ Jones, DeForest Buckner, Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Josh Uche
LB: Fred Warner, Kwon Alexander, Dre Greenlaw
CB: Cam Dantzler, Emmanuel Mosely, Shaun Wade, Ahkello Witherspoon
S: Kyle Dugger, Jaquiski Tartt, Tarvarious Moore
Roster Notes:
Man, that's a good looking and complete roster on both sides of the ball. Can't imagine it being unrealistically cap heavy either (not yet anyway). The offensive side of the ball I can see being really special, especially in year 5 of the Shanny install. The OL is young, but was given time to learn the system before stepping in, and full of really athletic scheme fit players. The weapons on offense have the chance to be really special. You have your #1, just get him the ball anyway you can, WR in Deebo Samuel. You have your deep threat in TY Hilton. You have your big tough (but not Frankenstein) 50/50 ball possession receiver in Jalen Hurd. You have your "I need a few yards, so just get open and catch the ball" move the sticks WR in Trent Taylor. You have your all around 4th option in Kendrick Bourne, and your ST and gadget play contributor in Richie James Jr. Oh, and with all that speed in the WR room, you have the leagues best TE in George Kittle and his next of kin in Pat Freiermuth to worry about, all while trying to stop a rotation of 4.3 speed running backs. OH, and there's also Shanny's play designs and play calls. Good luck, NFL.
[ Edited by adrianlesnar on Feb 11, 2020 at 7:51 PM ]
