It may be time for the 49ers to splurge at a position of need in free agency.
Free agency is approaching in just two weeks, and the San Francisco 49ers are working accordingly, looking to clear cap space in order to be true players when the initial period of contact begins.
While the 49ers have several areas of depth they’ll need to address, be it in free agency or the NFL Draft, the most important position may arguably be offensive line, where San Francisco struggled at times last year.
Now, the 49ers have an elite option in Trent Williams, while left guard Aaron Banks has proven to be capable of at least being average. However, the remainder of the offensive line has struggled, and could all be replaced, depending on what San Francisco does in free agency.
Should the 49ers sign an offensive lineman in free agency?
The case for it
The 49ers need help along their front five and free agency provides the clearest path to adding win-now talent at a reasonable cost.
While I haven’t been a proponent of paying offensive linemen in free agency in the past, given their premium cost and lack of elite-level play, this year’s class is deep enough to where you can find value in the middle-tier of free agents.
Now, the 49ers shouldn’t just settle for one player, but rather potentially target a starter at both center and guard to compete for next year.
The team would save some money should they move on from Jake Brendel, who earned an extension last offseason in a questionable move, while Spencer Burford has yet to break out as a guard for the 49ers.
More importantly, choosing to sign free agents would then open the floor up for the 49ers in the draft, who would be more inclined to go best-player-available (BPA), rather than focusing on needs and potentially reaching for players, as they’ve done in the past, especially in the earlier rounds.
The case against it
The 49ers haven’t been known to pay top-tier money to offensive linemen, letting players like Laken Tomlinson and Mike McGlinchey walk in free agency in exchange for compensatory picks.
Both moves were the right decisions, given the amount of money they received from their respective teams in free agency.
With an aging team and a bevy of draft picks, is it worth it to make the team older by spending on the offensive line in free agency, especially when considering the premium you’d need to pay for the position?
Additionally, the 49ers would have to maneuver their way into creating some cap space, which would continue to kick the can down the road.
They have other priorities on their roster, which means they’ll need to hit on whatever free agency moves they make in order to maintain their championship window, placing increased pressure on their free agency decisions.
My Thoughts
I think the 49ers should absolutely sign at least one offensive lineman this offseason, breaking protocol and investing not only resources, but high-end money in the position group that hasn’t ever been a true strength for San Francisco during the Kyle Shanahan era.
While I don’t think a tackle is in the mix, given the class in free agency and the perceived cost for signing one, there are absolutely attainable guards and centers to sign.
A deeper class in free agency will mean that certain players can be had for cheaper, which the 49ers should explore, but they absolutely need to capitalize on what may be the final year with their current core.
Drafting and starting offensive linemen may provide for a longer learning curve, which San Francisco may not have the patience for in 2024, which is why the most ideal situation would be to attain at least one lineman via free agency this offseason.