A pair of safeties and a couple of offensive linemen
According to Over the Cap, the San Francisco 49ers have around $6.3 million in cap space. That’s the ninth-lowest amount in the NFL. That number will go up once Brandon Aiyuk receives an extension.
Before the NFL Draft, the 49ers strategically considered the idea of signing a safety after the first wave of free agency. They drafted Malik Mustapha in the fourth round and Renardo Green, the team’s second-round pick, who brings safety experience from his younger playing days at Florida State. This thoughtful approach raises the question: should that prevent the team from adding more talent?
Premium talents such as Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, and Eddie Jackson remain unsigned. However, the next couple of months could be a crucial period for them to assess the potential of their current players, Mustapha and Hufanga, and determine if they are ready to step up post-ACL injury. If they need more time, that’s when the front office would potentially reach out to one of the safeties mentioned above.
Third-round pick Dominck Puni figures to compete for one of the starting spots along the offensive line. He was a three-year starter at Kansas, so the expectation is that he’ll be as pro-ready as one can make the jump to the NFL.
The 49ers seem set along the offensive line, but PFF thinks there are two offensive linemen on the market whom the team should consider:
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: ADD A GUARD
Dominick Puni can be a day-one starter at right guard for the 49ers as a third-round draft pick out of Kansas, but they could still stand to improve on the opposite side. Aaron Banks earned just a 50.2 PFF pass-blocking grade last season and struggled in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a spot where Dalton Risner or Greg Van Roten could compete for a starting job.
The way the players and coaches talk about Banks makes it seem like he’s here to stay and they’re higher on him inside of the building. Banks is entering the final season of his contract, so it’s a significant year for him.
I doubt the 49ers are looking at his PFF grade from a season ago to determine whether they’ll replace the former second-round pick— Risner, another former second-round pick, did not allow a sack last year and only had two penalties in over 700 snaps. But he’s been on the injury report every season and began 2023 on the injured reserve due to an elbow injury.
Van Roten started every game for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, but he is 34 and undersized. Last year was also the first time he’d played every game in a season since 2018.
Adding a safety makes more sense if Mustapha or Hufanga don’t look the part. Simmons and Diggs remain tempting. Regarding the offensive line, there doesn’t appear to be an upgrade available on the market.
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