San Francisco 49ers: Samson Ebukam contract (edges out Kyle Shanahan’s depressing press conference)
Another club that really did well in the 2021 offseason was the San Francisco 49ers. They landed Trey Lance in the draft which gives them a solid quarterback to turn to but they also kept Jimmy Garoppolo since Lance doesn’t have a ton of experience.
While it seems counterproductive to keep a young quarterback on the bench since those reps are so valuable, there’s something to be said for having Garoppolo there while Lance learns the system and all — but they do need to start him if he is even close to Jimmy G’s level.
But here, we have to pick their worst move which ends up being the move to sign defensive end Samson Ebukam. A former fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Ebukam was developing into a solid pass-rusher but he still has room to grow.
He’s also going to be converting from an outside linebacker in the Rams’ 3-4 defense to a defensive end in the 49ers 4-3. And while his two-year, $12 million contract isn’t a killer, that’s a solid chunk to give to a guy who is making the transition and has yet to truly break out.
That move just barely edges out Kyle Shanahan depressing us all when asked about Jimmy Garoppolo’s status on the team. The question posed was whether or not the coach could guarantee Garoppolo would be on the team after the draft and rather than giving us a simple no, he went all philosophical and said basically none of us was guaranteed to be alive then. Thanks, Kyle, and sorry we asked.