San Francisco 49ers deserve praise for sticking to free agency plan

The San Francisco 49ers did not make the splashes some expected in free agency, but they deserve praise for sticking to their plan.

The San Francisco 49ers may not have been as aggressive in the open market as some expected but, with the first wave of free agency over, it is clear they stayed true to their plan. Speculated big-money moves for Allen Robinson and Trumaine Johnson did not come to pass. But San Francisco stuck to general manager John Lynch’s pledge that the Niners would be “aggressively prudent”, signing players who fit the scheme to team-friendly contracts.

Richard Sherman is something of a gamble at cornerback given his recent Achilles surgery, but will provide a veteran presence in a defensive scheme he should fit in to perfectly, with Robert Saleh’s system mimicking the one utilized by the Seattle Seahawks.

Sherman signed a three-year, $39 million contract but only his $3 million signing bonus is fully guaranteed. He will earn another $2 million as a roster bonus at the start of training camp should he pass a physical. It is a deal laden with incentives and one the 49ers can get out of in 2019 — Sherman’s contract carries just $2 million in dead money were they to choose to cut him and save over $8 million — and running back Jerick McKinnon’s four-year $30 million deal is similarly easy for them to escape.

McKinnon will earn $10.5 million in the first year of his contract in a deal that is significantly front-loaded. His salary in 2019 drops to $4.5 million and, should the 49ers not wish to keep him after the first year, they can cut him before that salary becomes guaranteed in April.

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Center Weston Richburg’s five-year, $47 million contract is somewhat more long-term. He has cap hits of $9.26 million, $7.86 million and $8.86 million in the first three years, with his 2019 and 2020 salaries guaranteed for injury and then fully guaranteed in April of each year.

However, with 2021 and 2022 serving as option years, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, the 49ers have again given themselves an escape route, though they should be confident of not needing to part ways with either McKinnon or Richburg, both players who should adapt well to the Kyle Shanahan offense.

McKinnon is a fast and elusive tailback who has the skill set excel to running in a zone scheme and brings pass-catching upside, having caught 51 balls for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 2017.

Richburg’s lightweight frame is an advantage at the center position in the Shanahan offense, with his athleticism and ability to get to the second level assets that should make him a success.

Despite Richburg’s addition, the 49ers still have work to do on the interior of the offensive line as well as at edge rusher, but they made moves to address both of those areas by signing guard Jonathan Cooper and Jeremiah Attaochu, who had six sacks in 2015 with the Chargers but has seen his career dogged by injuries.

Neither Cooper’s nor Attacohu’s deal (two years, $5.1 million) will break the bank. Yet, for a team low on interior line and edge rushing talent, they are the kind of worthwhile fliers that supplement the headline moves and could prove inspired should they pay off.

And in truth the headline moves carry little in the way of risk. The numbers for Sherman and McKinnon initially raised eyebrows but both proved to be team-friendly deals that will be unmitigated successes if the 49ers end up paying the full value of those contracts.

Richburg’s contract appears slightly less team friendly but, if he becomes the dominant zone-blocking center the 49ers have paid him to be, then the outlay will have been worth it.

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The 49ers have indeed been aggressively prudent, they have gone after players who fit the system but done so while not handing out contracts that hamstring them financially. Very seldom does a scattergun approach of handing out huge contracts to a mix of big names and mid-tier free agents pay off.

The 49ers recognized this and stuck to their plan and, as a result, have added free agents who are scheme fits that improve the roster while staying well under the cap and giving themselves the flexibility to tie down players to contract extensions, remain active in the open market and set the team up for sustainable long-term success.

All salary cap details via Over The Cap, unless otherwise stated.