Golden Nuggets: Are we sleeping on Luke Farrell’s impact next year?

Why 49ers think all-grit, no-glamour tight end Luke Farrell can unleash their All-Pros (paywall

“Farrell had options if he didn’t become an NFL player. He had a 4.5 GPA in high school and was a four-time All-Academic Big Ten pick who had a 4.0 GPA in his final two years. Farrell was a human development and family studies major who wanted to become a physical therapist if his career ended after Ohio State.

Instead, Farrell is studying the 49ers’ intricate offense and enjoying the process. It has similarities to past systems in which he has played, but the strong emphasis on zone-blocking concepts is different.

“It’s, ‘This is who we are, this is what we do, this is how we’re going to do it,’ which is great for a guy like me,” Farrell said. “I love the detail. I love the expectation of having everyone on the same page.”

In March, Farrell’s agent called him to relay the 49ers’ contract offer when Farrell was driving in southwest Cleveland shortly after the start of free agency. Farrell pulled into a grocery store parking lot to discuss the details and speak with his parents about his decision.

It was a validating moment for a No. 2 tight end who has had fewer than two catches in 59 of his 66 NFL games. Farrell was confident he had done stellar work in the shadows, blocking brutes like Hendrickson, but he was also accustomed to going unnoticed.”

49ers gaining $5.6M in salary cap space

“Over The Cap now lists the 49ers with just over $50 million in available cap space—a figure that will likely be adjusted following the accounting of these post-June 1 moves.”