We’re a week and a day into free agency, and several of the San Francisco 49ers’ unrestricted free agents remain unsigned. Is it all that surprising?
A couple of the offensive linemen took visits within the past couple of days. The Detroit Lions hosted Ben Bartch, who had yet another season where he was banged up and finished on the Injured Reserve. Bartch’s play was never the issue during his brief tenure with the 49ers. It was his availability that was the problem.
Spencer Burford visited the Chargers over the weekend. Burford went from starting at right guard to backing up Trent Williams on the left side to filling in at left guard when Bartch went down with an injury. Burford had his flashes, but the consistency—as you’d expect from a player playing a new position—lacked, which is why Burford remains unsigned.
Yetur Gross-Matos was one of the more disappointing signings from the 2024 free agency class. He’s played 5 games over 2 seasons. The former second-round pick would have needed to be lights out in limited action for how much time he missed. Even some of Gross-Matos’s pressures had a bit of fluff. We may have seen the last of Gross-Matos in the NFL.
Brian Robinson Jr. may need to wait until after the NFL Draft to sign. The 49ers could still be interested, but his skill set might overlap with Jordan James’. The 49ers can find a Robinson Jr., as they did with James, in every draft.
The most notable player still unsigned is Jauan Jennings, who may have overestimated his market value. The 49ers look like the smart ones after not caving to Jennings’ contract demands. The addition of Christian Kirk is a sign that the Niners want speed at “F.”
That’s not to say Jennings doesn’t have a role in this league. Teams will likely circle back to Jennings either this week or after the draft if they can’t find a big receiver who can win in short-yardage situations or in the red zone.
Are any of these free agents still being available surprising to you?
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