Ranking the San Francisco 49ers’ unrestricted and restricted free agents in order of importance and value to the organization
The San Francisco 49ers have six players whose contract voided after the conclusion of the 2024 season, making them unrestricted free agents. They’ll join 18 other UFAs, two other restricted free agents, and seven exclusive rights free agents this offseason.
For the sake of this exercise, we’ll omit the exclusive rights of free agents, as they’re only allowed to receive offers from the 49ers unless San Francisco will enable them to pursue other offers. They’re all players who figure to return, anyway. Those players are Jake Tonges, Jalen Graham, Brayden Willis, Sam Okuayinonu, Alex Barrett, Evan Anderson, and Austen Pleasants.
Linebacker Curtis Robinson and running back Jordan Mason are the pair of restricted free agents. We will see what type of tender Mason receives. For his sake, I hope Mason gets the opportunity he deserves and works out a long-term deal with another team. Mason would be relegated to backup duty so long as Christian McCaffrey and perhaps even Isaac Guerendo are in the fold.
That means we have 24 players to evaluate and rank according to how we believe the 49ers should prioritize them ahead of free agency. Let’s start with the players the Niners should re-sign.
Unrestricted free agents (24)
1) LB Dre Greenlaw
The last two times we saw Greenlaw on the field was in Week 15, and the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t get a first down one week after scoring 44 points against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The time before that was in the Super Bowl when the 49ers’ defense made the Kansas City Chiefs look pedestrian offensively.
Greenlaw’s mere presence would make it hard to let him walk in free agency. The 49ers pass defense allowed nearly two whole fewer yards per pass attempt to the middle third of the field with Greenlaw on the field since 2023. The defense was night and day without the heart and soul, and dare I say…leader? The stats back up the eye test. Whether against the run, pass, or as a blitzer, the 49ers linebacker play took multiple steps back without Dre.
Injuries are a concern, and Dee Winters’s emergence in 2024 shouldn’t be ignored. However, unless another team breaks the bank for Greenlaw, he should be at the top of the 49ers’ list to re-sign come free agency.
2) LG Ben Bartch
Bartch played 64 snaps compared to Aaron Banks’s 729 in 2024. They both played the same position. Banks comes in with the higher draft status and more experience, but I’d argue that Bartch showed more in his brief appearances than Banks did all season.
One way for the 49ers to save money is to give Bartch the left guard job or bring in competition late in the draft or with a veteran free agent. Regardless, I’m prioritizing Bartch to re-sign at his price and letting Banks walk for a potential compensatory pick. Bartch is 26, is far more agile and mobile than Banks, and can do everything Banks can at 90 percent of the cost.
3) DT Javon Hargrave
Price should be the primary talking point with Hargrave. He’s a nine-year veteran with two seasons of superb play — his final two years with Philadelphia, two seasons of above-average play, and plenty to be desired in between. Hargrave also turns 32 in a couple of weeks. When you’re coming off a season-ending injury that cost you most of the season, it’s difficult to sell everything we just said into someone you should sign to a lucrative contract.
But the 49ers don’t have a ton of top-tier free agents they need to bring back. They also have a massive hole at defensive tackle. The NFL Draft’s deepest position is arguably the position Hargrave plays, but if he can be re-signed at somewhat of a bargain deal, the 49ers should bring Hargrave back.
Re-signing Hargrave should not stop the Niners from addressing defensive tackle with one of their first two draft picks.
4) OT Jaylon Moore
Moore started 12 games during his rookie contract with the 49ers and ended up playing a career-high in snap counts this past season in Trent Williams’s absence. His profile wasn’t dissimilar from Colton McKivitz’s throughout the years. Moore was actually better at limiting sacks and made few mistakes as a run blocker. He’s a valuable swing tackle to have. If you’re Moore, you might be tired of being relegated to backup duty, especially if you feel like you’re as talented as the starting right tackle.
5) WR Chris Conley
We can’t spend all season complaining about the 49ers’ special teams units and then not bring back one of the most critical players in the third phase of the game.
Conley was fifth on the team in special teams snaps this past season and has been one of the Niners’ best special teams players for the past couple of seasons. He remains one of the fastest players on the roster, so retaining him at a relatively cheap price to continue to cover kicks is imperative for a unit that desperately needs reliable bodies for new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.
If you’re wondering why Charvarius Ward isn’t on here, it’s because he deserves a fresh start. I’m also not in the camp of those who believe Talanoa Hufanga’s production is worth retaining.