49ers Free Agency

"This team, from here on out, with myself being the general manager position is going to build through the draft and again, we are going to use free agency as a tool, to add players to this roster, in a starting role or even in a backup role, meaning they can be a backup linebacker, but we know we are getting a core special teams player, so we are going to use free agency, but we are not going to be considered a team that is going to build this roster through free agency, but we’ll make it stronger because of it." -- Scott McCloughan, General Manager

After almost a week into free agency, the Niners haven't made as much of a splash as they have in the past couple of years, but they certainly have made significant moves to solidify the team. Again, I'll go over the changes that have been for each individual position.

Quarterback
Although no changes have been made at QB yet, there is definitely some activity going on regarding the position. First, Scotty Mac has made it clear that negotiations with Alex Smith have been "positive" and that there is a very good chance he'll be back in a 49ers uniform when the season starts. While that isn't set in stone, there's no reason to suspect otherwise. Second, while the Niners didn't make a splash, they certainly made headlines with their well-publicized, yet unsuccessful courtship of Kurt Warner. I still don't know how I feel about that move. For me, it really depends on what the team's underlying intentions were. If the team was seriously looking for a starting QB to supplant Hill and Smith, I wouldn't have been too excited about it. For one thing, Warner is fucking old. Sure, he had an amazing season last year, but I highly doubt he could match the same success, especially on the Niners. Then after two years, what then? Hope Alex Smith or some young draft pick can finally step in? Doesn't seem like the smartest move. Also, if Warner was signed, what would that mean for Shaun Hill and Alex Smith? Would Hill, who's proved to be a winning starter, be relegated to back up duty AGAIN? Would that also mean Smith be pushed back to 3rd string duty even after all the negotiations? The move just doesn't make sense. This is what I think really happened... I think the move was just a flashy act to sabotage the Cardinals' efforts to re-sign Warner. The Cardinals weren't willing to spend franchise-player type money, but maybe some pressure from another team would've forced them to. The Niners knew that, so they put a rival team into a tough position. If that were true, the move was brilliant. The other team wasn't exactly sabotaged, but the Niners didn't really hurt themselves either. They'll still be going into next season with a proven winner, a young, promising backup, and probably a project rookie who will contend for the position in the future.

Fullback
Welcome back Moran Norris. This was a very good move by the team. Norris fits the bill for the type of square-shouldered, sledgehammer type of FB the team was looking for. Even better, he has a very close relationship with Frank Gore, who had a lot of success running behind Norris. However, Norris' age might be a concern, so addressing the position in the draft is not out of the question.

Wide receiver
One of the first moves of free agency was the Niners' signing of WR Brandon Jones. Jones is a 4-year veteran who fits the mold of the typical big, aggressive 49ers wide receiver. Before he was drafted, he pulled off a 4.38 40-time, but has yet to show that burst and deep speed in the pros. The move is somewhat questionable because despite his lightning 40-time, Jones is not a burner, something the Niners are in desperate need of. He's also coming off a knee injury which has caused him to lose a step, although he claims that he is now faster than before. Overall, it's a good move by the Niners. I've never been a fan of big name WRs. Casual fans love them, but I've always thought of them as expensive luxuries that can only be effective if surrounded by the right talent. An average WR on a team with an elite QB and O-line will do much better than an elite WR on a team with an average QB and O-line. Anyway, Jones is coming off the best season of his career and is gradually showing some signs of his potential. It's been over a year since his injury and if his claims about his speed are true, he will add an element that was missing on offense. If not, he is still a sure-handed, aggressive WR that will provide some depth for a WR corps is desperately in need of it.

Offensive linemen
The team has been pretty quiet about their interest in any O-linemen. This leads to some fair speculation that the team will be looking to upgrade the position early on in the draft, especially around pick #10, where they will be likely to find a quality offensive tackle. Don't write off the signing of a free agent, though. There is still some quality talent on the market including OG Jahri Evans and OT Khalif Barnes.

Defensive linemen
So far, the Niners don't seem to be searching the market for the all-important nose tackle position. This can mean either one of two things: 1. There aren't any worthwhile NTs on the market or 2. The team is comfortable with the talent at NT they have now. I'm hoping it's the first one because despite what Scott McCloughan thinks, I'M not comfortable with our NTs. With Ron Fields departing for the Broncos, the team is in need of even more depth at the position. On the contrary, the team is looking out for more DE depth (Chris Canty, Demetric Evans...), which can be confusing because of the amount of depth already on the roster. The signing of another DE may result in Isaac Sopoaga moving back to his hold position at NT. However, it'd be a dream come true to see Sopoaga finally fill in at NT and flourish. I've been a Sopoaga fan since his days at Hawaii and it's been heartbreaking to watch his underachieve each year. Will McSing commit to the Sopoaga project at NT? Will this be the year Sopoaga proves his worth? Will the Niners eventually solve their D-line problems? The beginning of next season could not come any sooner...

Linebacker
First and foremost, the Niners have locked up Takeo Spikes for another 2 years, thus maintaining the best inside linebacker tandem in the league (yeah I said it). This may have been the best move for the team so far. However, Spikes' age will be a concern as long as he is on the team, and grooming his eventual replacement must be on the team's to do list. Look for the team to add some youth in the draft. Other than that, there are still some question marks about the OLB position. With Peppers and Suggs off the market, the shelf is pretty bare of quality pass rushers. Right now, Jason Taylor is the only available player that has any real value. However, I think the team is looking to get younger at the position, and at 34 years old, Taylor is on the decline. The same goes for Willie McGinest. If worse comes to worse, look for one of the mentioned players (more likely Taylor) to provide locker room presence at the very least for a young, talented defense.

Defensive back
Well, the Niners did sign CB Allen Rossum, but of course he's more of a return specialist than defensive back. Either way, it's a good signing of a proven playmaker. Other than that, the team doesn't seem to be making any big moves. Like may other positions in free agency, there isn't a lot of talent out there for DBs. I can list a bunch of available DBs on the market, but I can't honestly say that they'd be a significant upgrade over what the team currently has. At this point, finding some youth through the draft to add some depth would be the smarter move.

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Well, that's it for today. Free agency is still going, so I'll be updating this as I see fit. Look out for another in-depth mock draft within the next couple of weeks...