The San Francisco 49ers extended the contract of Daniel Kilgore in a move that may raise eyebrows, but is actually a sensible one for the franchise.
The San Francisco 49ers followed tying Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year contract by signing the player he is likely to have the closest relationship with, center Daniel Kilgore, to a three-year deal. With a draft heavy in interior linemen and Kilgore having produced an up-and-down 2017 season, the move is one that may raise some eyebrows.
However, the numbers from Kilgore’s time snapping the ball to Garoppolo suggest keeping him around may be a better decision that the Niners will be given credit for.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Jeff Deeney, Kilgore did not allow a sack or a QB hit in the five weeks Garoppolo was the starting quarterback.
Rough beginning to season (especially Week 4 vs. AZ) left Kilgore with a 51.0 overall grade on the year, 23rd out of 35 centers. He was a Top 10 center in the five weeks Jimmy G was at the helm, not allowing a sack or QB hit. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (jeffdeeney on Threads) (@PFF_Jeff) February 14, 2018
With that kind of play and the importance of the relationship between the quarterback and the center, it is not too much of a surprise that the 49ers opted to keep Kilgore around, particularly given the contract he was willing to sign. Kilgore said he signed a “team-friendly” deal, and the since released numbers certainly reflect those comments.
His deal, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, is worth as much as $12 million with $7 million in guarantees, with Kilgore’s new average-per-year earnings ranking 15th among NFL centers, according to Niners Nation. In other words the 49ers signed a player who improved as the quarterback play did to a middle-of-the-road contract that will save some extra room for San Francisco to bring in other free agents.
Signing Kilgore to an extension does also not preclude them from adding to the offensive line via the draft. The Philadelphia Eagles demonstrated how important it is to have depth up front as tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai excelled when pressed into service off the bench.
Though Joshua Garnett will be coming back from injury and Brandon Fusco enjoyed a decent season at guard, the 49ers definitely need competition on the interior of the line. Subsequently, centers such as Billy Price, James Daniels and Mason Cole could all still be in play in the draft.
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Drafting another center after re-upping Kilgore would be a wise move on San Francisco’s part. A rookie center would have the entire offseason to settle in and, if Kilgore does not live up to the play he produced in the final five weeks, then he can be benched. Keeping Kilgore around gives the 49ers a center Garoppolo trusts and at worst he can provide some veteran depth should his performances drop off.
To have a chance at contending for a championship, insurance policies on the offensive line are important, Kilgore at the very least at least gives San Francisco one and at a team-friendly price. Keeping him around was a sensible decision by the 49ers.