San Francisco 49ers: Assessing offseason needs ahead of free agency

CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates his touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers with offensive tackle Mike Person #68 at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

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Ahead of free agency, we assess the San Francisco 49ers’ offseason needs and the likelihood of them being addressed with signings on the open market.

The start of a huge San Francisco 49ers offseason comes on Monday, March 11 when NFL teams are allowed to negotiate with free agents. San Francisco has needs on both sides of the ball that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will look to address as they plot a path to playoff contention in 2019.

The Niners also have some significant draft capital to play with, so not every will be addressed via signings on the open market.

Here, we assess each of the holes on the roster and the likelihood of the Niners signing a free agent at the position.

Offensive Line

Why it’s a need: Despite signing guard Mike Person to a three-year extension, the 49ers could certainly use added depth on the interior of the offensive line, particularly with center Weston Richburg out until training camp as he recovers from leg surgery. A replacement for veteran left tackle Joe Staley, whose contract expires after 2019, will also need to be found at some point.

Odds of a free agent signing: There’s decent O-line depth in the draft. Yet, while the 49ers won’t be expected to pay big money for the top names on the market like Rodger Saffold and Matt Paradis, it would be no surprise for them to attempt to find some cheap veteran help, as they did with Person last year, his emergence as a starter proving a pleasant surprise. As for replacing Staley, that may wait until next year unless the 49ers can select a top tackle in the draft via a trade down.