NFL Free Agency 2012: San Francisco 49ers
By Josh Sanchez
With Michael Crabtree as the only viable option at wide receiver and Kyle Williams as the only other receiver signed on the roster, the biggest issue the San Francisco 49ers have to address in free agency is at wide receiver.
A big name signing in free agency like Mike Wallace, or even a mid-level veteran like Reggie Wayne, would help in the passing game to go along with Crabtree and Vernon Davis. The good thing is the 49ers are $30 million under the salary cap. With that type of cap room the 49ers are capable of spending big on a wide receiver but the front office must also re-sign important players on offense and defense who helped the team advance to the NFC Championship game.
The receiver the 49ers should go after is Wallace. The 49ers would have to give up a first-round pick because Wallace is a restricted free agent, but signing him would answer all of the 49ers receiving needs. With Wallace being a restricted free agent, the 49ers would need to make an offer the Steelers cannot match — which might be easy with the Steelers $10 million over the salary cap — and would have to give up the 30th pick in the draft. It’s worth it. He is a deep, fast threat and has had the least troubles of any receiver available in free agency.
The players the 49ers must re-sign are Alex Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Joshua Morgan, Ahmad Brooks, Dashon Goldson and Carlos Rogers.
The $30 million in cap room provides the 49ers an opportunity to re-sign all of them. However, players like Brooks and Rogers could demand a big contract after their performance in the 2011 season. Should the 49ers re-sign all of the players no other position, outside of wide receiver, will need to be addressed in free agency. If players start to walk and sign with other teams, the 49ers will need to go into damage control to fill those holes as well.
Preview provided by Eric Melendez. Check out Niner Noise for more San Francisco 49ers coverage.