The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a pivotal offseason for the franchise.
CBS Sports recently broke down the NFL’s top 100 free agents and it illustrates the importance of getting this offseason right for San Francisco.
A quartet of 49ers free agents were among Pete Prisco’s top 100 NFL free agents. That group of San Francisco free agents features cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and guard Aaron Banks.
Prisco ranked Ward as the NFL’s No. 18 free agent, Greenlaw as the No. 31 free agent, Hufanga as the No. 38 free agent and Banks as the No. 77 free agent.
Ward has indicated that it’s likely he will be playing elsewhere in 2025. Greenlaw has been an anchor of the 49ers’ defenses throughout his six-year playing career, but he’s also been injury prone.
Hufanga just completed his rookie contract and he has likewise been limited by injuries over the past two seasons. The USC alum has played in just 17 games over the past two seasons combined, but he was a first-team All-Pro in 2022.
Offensively, San Francisco would love to bring back Banks, but there’s a tough decision to be made there as well. Can the 49ers re-sign Banks coming out of his rookie contract for a price that makes sense, or does the franchise opt to prioritize offensive line in the 2025 NFL draft?
In comparison to the rest of the league, San Francisco was one of 12 NFL franchises that Prisco deemed to have four or more of the league’s top 100 free agents. The 49ers joined the world champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts as NFL teams that Prisco featured with four top 100 free agents.
The Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers each had six top 100 free agents per Prisco.
After a 6-11 finish in 2024, 49ers fans and the organization are hungry for an immediate return to championship contention.
Though injuries played a serious part in derailing the 49ers’ 2024 season, San Francisco certainly had its fair share of warts that need removing or repairing.
After ranking third in the NFL in rushing offense in 2023, the 49ers slipped back to 12th in the league. Some of that can obviously be attributed to Christian McCaffrey playing in just four games and other injuries up front, but the 49ers clearly need to improve their offensive line.
On the defensive side of the football, San Francisco plummeted from the league’s No. 3 rushing defense in 2023 to the 18th in the NFL this past season.
As the front office looks to address some of those concerns, it will have to do so via a combination of free agency and the 2025 NFL draft.
According to Over The Cap, the 49ers have $43 million in effective cap space.