On May 7, the 49ers can start signing unrestricted free agents without compromising possible compensatory picks in 2020.
On the second Tuesday after the draft, which is May 7, NFL teams can sign unrestricted free agents and they won’t count against a team’s compensatory draft-pick formula. It used to be June 1, but this now incentivizes teams to sign veteran free agents so that they can participate in OTAs and the offseason program. It used to be free agents were waiting around until a week or so before training camp to get a phone call.
That had me wondering, could the San Francisco 49ers add any depth during this next wave of free agency? There are plenty of notable names that remain unsigned. Morris Claiborne is a cornerback that doesn’t scream star, but he’s serviceable. Then there’s the big names like Ndamukong Suh, and Ziggy Ansah. Looking at the 49ers transaction history, there won’t be many splash names, and that’s okay.
In May of 2018 the team signed Mike Person to a one-year deal. I don’t know if they expected him to play nearly 1,000 snaps, but that turned out to be a great additon. In June, the team signed Antone Exum Jr. In August 2018 they traded for Shon Coleman, and signed Alfred Morris. So there will likely be a couple of key additions prior the season starting, it’s just a matter of who.
Depth along the interior offensive line makes sense. As does competition in the secondary. Claiborne isn’t a bad option by any means. Former Lions safety Glover Quin is up there in age, but he’s the sound type of football player you want at safety. If the team wants to bring in a veteran player to spell Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, guys like Derrick Morgan and Nick Perry are out there. With veteran pass rushers, less is more. So them not having to play heaving snaps might entice them to sign.
About the Author: Insidethe49
